List of countries by rail transport network size
Encyclopedia
International Union of Railways
The UIC , or International Union of Railways, is an international rail transport industry body.- Brief history :The railways of Europe originated as separate concerns. There were many border changes after World War I and the Treaty of Versailles. Colonial railways were the responsibility of the...
data ranks countries by length of rail lines worked at end of year. These figures also include lines which are not used for passenger services.
Rank
| Rank | Country Country A country is a region legally identified as a distinct entity in political geography. A country may be an independent sovereign state or one that is occupied by another state, as a non-sovereign or formerly sovereign political division, or a geographic region associated with a previously... |
Railway length (km) |
Date of information |
Notes | Electrified length (km) |
Historic peak length (km) |
Area (km2) per km track | Population per km track |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  United States |
226,427 | (2007) | 408,833 | 43.40 | 1379 | ||
| 2 |  Russia |
128,000 | (2006) | 50,000 | 133.58 | 1117 | ||
| 3 |  People's Republic of China |
91,000 | (2010) | 42,000 | 105.46 | 14722 | ||
| 4 |  India |
64,215 | (2011) | 21,015 | 51.19 | 18846 | ||
| 5 |  Canada |
57,216 | (2007) | 174.51 | 605 | |||
| 6 |  Germany |
41,896 | (2008) | 8.52 | 1951 | |||
| 7 |  Australia |
41,461 | (2006) | 2,940 | 186.71 | 548 | ||
| 8 |  Argentina |
35,897 | (2007) | 47,000 | 77.45 | 1117 | ||
| 9 |  Early Modern France |
29,901 | (2008) | 15,140 | 21.53 | 2201 | ||
| 10 |  Brazil |
29,817 | (2008) | 285.57 | 6397 | |||
| 11 |  Mexico |
26,704 | (2009) | 73.56 | 4207 | |||
| 12 |  South Africa |
24,487 | (2007) | 49.79 | 2066 | |||
| 13 |  Italy |
24,179 | (2010) | 12.46 | 2507 | |||
| 14 |  Japan |
23,474 | (2007) | 16.10 | 5451 | |||
| 15 |  Ukraine |
22,300 | (2010) | 9,752 | 27.07 | 2048 | ||
| 16 |  Kingdom of Romania |
22,298 | (2008) | 3,971 | 10.69 | 960 | ||
| 17 |  Poland |
19,627 | (2008) | 15.93 | 1946 | |||
| 18 |  United Kingdom |
16,321 | (2008) | 34,000 | 14.93 | 3825 | ||
| 19 |  Spain |
15,064 | (2008) | 8,760 | 33.55 | 3062 | ||
| 20 |  Kazakhstan |
15,000 | (2010) | 181.66 | 1101 | |||
| 21 |  Sweden |
12,821 | (2010) | 7,918 | 35.12 | 736 | ||
| 22 |  Iran |
11,106 | (2008) | 146 | 148.41 | 6816 | ||
| 23 |  Turkey |
10,991 | (2008) | 71.29 | 6708 | |||
| 24 |  Czech Republic |
9,487 | (2008) | 8.31 | 1111 | |||
| 25 |  Indonesia |
8,529 | (2008) | 550 | 223.31 | 27853 | ||
| 26 |  Hungary |
7,942 | (2008) | 11.71 | 1257 | |||
| 27 |  Pakistan |
7,791 | (2008) | 102.18 | 22759 | |||
| 28 |  Egypt |
6,700 | (2010) | 149.47 | 12075 | |||
| 29 |  Finland |
5,919 | (2008) | 57.13 | 911 | |||
| 30 |  Chile |
5,898 | (2006) | 128.2 | 2931 | |||
| 31 |  Austria |
5,755 | (2008) | 14.57 | 1460 | |||
| 32 |  Belarus |
5,491 | (2008) | 37.81 | 1731 | |||
| 33 |  Sudan |
5,478 | (2006) | 339.81 | 5640 | |||
| 34 |  North Korea |
5,235 | (2006) | ~3,500 | 23.03 | 4595 | ||
| 35 |  Cuba |
5,076 | (2007) | 21.84 | 2215 | |||
| 36 |  Switzerland |
5,063 | (2010) | 1353 | 8.15 | 1554 | ||
| 37 |  Thailand |
4,429 | (2007) | 115.8 | 15137 | |||
| 38 |  Uzbekistan |
4,230 | (2007) | 105.77 | 6488 | |||
| 39 |  Kingdom of Bulgaria |
4,159 | (2008) | 26.66 | 1771 | |||
| 40 |  New Zealand |
4,128 | (2006) | 64.64 | 1070 | |||
| 41 |  Norway |
4,114 | (2008) | 2622 | 78.71 | 1209 | ||
| 42 |  Democratic Republic of the Congo |
4,007 | (2008) | 585.19 | 16463 | |||
| 43 |  Myanmar |
3,955 | (2006) | 171.07 | 12127 | |||
| 44 |  Serbia |
3,809 | (2008) | 20.34 | 1918 | |||
| 45 |  Slovakia |
3,658 | (2010) | 1577 | 13.4 | 1486 | ||
| 46 |  Algeria |
3,572 | (2008) | 666.78 | 10162 | |||
| 47 |  Nigeria |
3,528 | (2006) | 261.84 | 44904 | |||
| 48 |  Belgium |
3,513 | (2008) | 8.69 | 3108 | |||
| 49 |  South Korea |
3,381 | (2008) | 29.49 | 14489 | |||
| 50 |  Turkmenistan |
3,181 | (2007) | 153.44 | 1585 | |||
| 51 |  Vietnam |
3,147 | (2007) | 105.25 | 27765 | |||
| 52 |  Mozambique |
3,116 | (2008) | 256.54 | 6604 | |||
| 53 |  Zimbabwe |
3,000 | (2010) | 313 | 130.25 | 4190 | ||
| 54 |  Uruguay |
2,993 | (2006) | 58.88 | 1121 | |||
| 55 |  Netherlands |
2,896 | (2008) | 14.34 | 5767 | |||
| 56 |  Bolivia |
2,866 | (2007) | 383.32 | 3638 | |||
| 57 |  Portugal |
2,842 | (2008) | 32.4 | 3743 | |||
| 58 |  Bangladesh |
2,835 | (2008) | 50.79 | 53392 | |||
| 59 |  Kenya |
2,778 | (2010) | 208.92 | 13899 | |||
| 60 |  Angola |
2,761 | (2006) | 2,764 | 451.54 | 6911 | ||
| 61 |  Tanzania |
2,722 | (2006) | 348.02 | 15866 | |||
| 62 |  Independent State of Croatia |
2,974 | (2009) | 1228 | 19.03 | 1443 | ||
| 63 |  Greece |
2,551 | (2007) | 51.73 | 4229 | |||
| 64 |  Namibia |
2,382 | (2006) | 346.05 | 877 | |||
| 65 |  Latvia |
2,269 | (2007) | 28.47 | 978 | |||
| 66 |  Tunisia |
2,218 | (2007) | 73.76 | 4756 | |||
| 67 |  Syria |
2,139 | (2008) | 86.57 | 11078 | |||
| 68 |  Denmark |
2,667 | (2008) | 640 | 16.16 | 2086 | ||
| 69 |  Azerbaijan |
2,099 | (2008) | 41.26 | 4366 | |||
| 70 |  Iraq |
2,032 | (2006) | 215.71 | 15587 | |||
| 71 |  Peru |
2,020 | (2008) | 636.25 | 14585 | |||
| 72 |  Morocco |
1,989 | (2008) | 224.51 | 16227 | |||
| 73 | 1,919 | (2007) | 36.62 | 2387 | ||||
| 74 |  Mongolia |
1,810 | (2008) | 864.15 | 1560 | |||
| 75 |  Lithuania |
1,766 | (2007) | 36.98 | 1824 | |||
| 76 |  Malaysia |
1,665 | (2008) | 198.11 | 17017 | |||
| 77 |  Colombia |
1,663 | (2007) | 648.85 | 27770 | |||
| 78 |  Republic of China (Republic of China) |
1,661 | (2010) | 1,300 | 5,000 | 21.66 | 13960 | |
| 79 |  Georgia (country) |
1,513 | (2007) | 46.07 | 2932 | |||
| 80 |  Sri Lanka |
1,508 | (2010) | 43.51 | 13696 | |||
| 81 |  Saudi Arabia |
1,412 | (2007) | 1522.44 | 19219 | |||
| 82 |  Zambia |
1,237 | (2006) | 608.42 | 10547 | |||
| 83 |  Slovenia |
1,228 | (2007) | 16.51 | 1672 | |||
| 84 |  Moldova |
1,156 | (2008) | 29.28 | 3083 | |||
| 85 |  Bosnia and Herzegovina |
1,103 | (2007) | 46.42 | 3484 | |||
| 86 |  Israel |
1,001 | (2010) | 20.75 | 7752 | |||
| 87 |  Cameroon |
974 | (2007) | |||||
| 88 |  Ecuador |
966 | (2006) | |||||
| 89 |  Ghana |
953 | (2006) | |||||
| 90 |  Senegal |
906 | (2004) | |||||
| 91 |  Botswana |
888 | (2007) | |||||
| 92 |  Guatemala |
885 | (2004) | |||||
| 93 |  Madagascar |
854 | (2007) | |||||
| 94 |  Armenia |
845 | (2006) | |||||
| 95 |  Guinea |
837 | (2006) | |||||
| 96 |  Estonia |
816 | (2008) | |||||
| 97 |  Gabon |
810 | (2007) | |||||
| 98 |  Malawi |
797 | (2007) | |||||
| 99 |  Republic of the Congo |
795 | (2006) | |||||
| 100 |  Djibouti |
781 | (2005) | |||||
| 101 |  Benin |
758 | (2006) | |||||
| 102 |  Mali |
733 | (2002) | |||||
| 103 |  Mauritania |
728 | (2008) | |||||
| 104 |  Honduras |
699 | (2006) | |||||
| 105 |  Republic of Macedonia |
699 | (2007) | |||||
| 106 |  Ethiopia |
699 | (2006) | |||||
| 107 |  Cambodia |
650 | (2003) | |||||
| 108 |  Côte d'Ivoire |
639 | (2007) | |||||
| 109 |  Burkina Faso |
622 | (2006) | |||||
| 110 |  Tajikistan |
616 | (2007) | |||||
| 111 |  Fiji |
597 | (2006) | |||||
| 112 |  Togo |
568 | (2006) | |||||
| 113 |  El Salvador |
562 | (2007) | |||||
| 114 |  Dominican Republic |
517 | (2006) | |||||
| 115 |  Liberia |
490 | (2006) | |||||
| 116 |  Philippines |
479 | (2008) | |||||
| 117 |  Albania |
423 | (2007) | |||||
| 118 |  Kyrgyzstan |
417 | (2007) | |||||
| 119 |  Lebanon |
401 | (2006) | |||||
| 120 |  Panama |
355 | (2006) | |||||
| 121 |  Venezuela |
336 | (2006) | |||||
| 122 |  Eritrea |
306 | (2006) | |||||
| 123 |  Swaziland |
300 | (2008) | |||||
| 124 |  Costa Rica |
278 | (2007) | |||||
| 125 |  Luxembourg |
275 | (2007) | |||||
| 126 |  Jamaica |
272 | (2003) | |||||
| 127 |  Uganda |
259 | (2002) | |||||
| 128 |  Jordan |
251 | (2007) | |||||
| 129 |  Kingdom of Montenegro |
249 | (2008) | |||||
| 130 |  Hong Kong |
210 | (2008) | |||||
| 131 |  Guyana |
187 | (2001 est.) | |||||
| 132 |  Singapore |
177 | (2006) | includes MRT Mass Rapid Transit (Singapore) The Mass Rapid Transit or MRT is a rapid transit system that forms the backbone of the railway system in Singapore, spanning the entire city-state. The initial section of the MRT, between Yio Chu Kang Station and Toa Payoh Station, opened in 1987 establishing itself as the second-oldest metro... and LRT networks |
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| 133 |  Suriname |
166 | (2001) | |||||
| 134 |  Puerto Rico (US) |
96 | (2006) | |||||
| 135 |  Sierra Leone |
84 | (2001) | |||||
| 136 |  Antigua and Barbuda |
77 | (2001 est.) | |||||
| 137 |  Nepal |
59 | (2006) | |||||
| 138 |  United Arab Emirates |
52 | (2009) | |||||
| 139 |  Saint Kitts and Nevis |
50 | (2006) | |||||
| 140 |  Haiti |
40 | (2001 est.) | |||||
| 141 |  Paraguay |
36 | (2006) | |||||
| 142 |  Afghanistan |
24 | (2004) | |||||
| 143 |  Brunei |
13 | (2001 est.) | |||||
| 144 |  Liechtenstein |
9 | (2006) | |||||
| 145 |  Nicaragua |
6 | (2006) | |||||
| 146 |  Nauru |
5 | (2001) | |||||
| 147 |  Western Sahara |
5 | (2008) | see Mauritania Railway Mauritania Railway The Mauritania Railway is the national railway of Mauritania. Opened in 1963, it consists of a single, railway line linking the iron mining centre of Zouerate with the port of Nouadhibou, via Fderik and Choum... |
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| 148 |  Laos |
4 | (2005) | see Friendship Bridge | ||||
| 149 |  Lesotho |
3 | (1995) | |||||
| 150 |  Monaco |
2 | (2002) | |||||
| 151 | 0.852 | (2001 est.) | ||||||
| World World World is a common name for the whole of human civilization, specifically human experience, history, or the human condition in general, worldwide, i.e. anywhere on Earth.... |
1,370,782 | (2006) |
No railways currently
Countries listed in this section either once had railways and/or are planning for future railways.- planned 2009 - planned 2008 - planned 2007 - rail link is expected to come up under Nehru Golden Jubilee project - planned 2008 - once had salt-carrying railway to pier at Santa Maria
Santa Maria, Cape Verde
Santa Maria is a fishing city situated in the southern part of the island municipality of Sal, Cape Verde. The city is the third largest in Cape Verde and is one of the few that it is larger than the municipal capital...
- proposed from Bangui
Bangui
-Law and government:Bangui is an autonomous commune of the Central African Republic. With an area of 67 km², it is by far the smallest high-level administrative division of the CAR in area but the highest in population...
to Cameroon
Cameroon
Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon , is a country in west Central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west; Chad to the northeast; the Central African Republic to the east; and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo to the south. Cameroon's coastline lies on the...
- possible connection to Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
- Cyprus Government Railway
Cyprus Government Railway
The Cyprus Government Railway was a narrow gauge railway network that operated in Cyprus from October 1905 to December 1951. With a total length of , there were 39 stations, stops and halts, the most prominent of which served Famagusta, Prastio Mesaoria, Angastina, Trachoni, Nicosia,...
1905 to 1974 - There are no railways currently in Gibraltar - Proposals - planned 1998 to Guinea
Guinea
Guinea , officially the Republic of Guinea , is a country in West Africa. Formerly known as French Guinea , it is today sometimes called Guinea-Conakry to distinguish it from its neighbour Guinea-Bissau. Guinea is divided into eight administrative regions and subdivided into thirty-three prefectures...
- see Rail transport in Iceland
Rail transport in Iceland
Iceland does not have a public railway system and though there have been three small railways none has formed a part of the public transport network.- Reykjavík Harbour Railway :- The track network :...
for former and proposed future railways - planned 2008 - 1912 to 1965; (network under construction, see Libyan Railways
Libyan Railways
There have been no operational railways in Libya since 1965, but various lines existed in the past. An extensive system is now being developed and under construction.-History:...
) - A light rail network should be operational by 2015. There is also a short cable car on Monte da Guia - operated 1883 to 1931 - 1860s to 1960s - see Rail transport in Niger for proposals - planned 2008 - planned 2007 - planned - 2008 - planned 2008 - an electric railway linked Rimini (Italy) and San Marino City until 1944 - Mogadishu-Villabruzzi Railway existed from 1914 to 1941 - Trinidad Government Railway
Trinidad Government Railway
The Trinidad Government Railway existed between 1876 and 28 December 1968. Originally built to connect Port of Spain with Arima, the railway was extended to Couva in 1880, San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago in 1882, Cunapo in 1897, Tabaquite in 1898, Siparia in 1913 and Rio Claro in...
from 1876 until 1968; Trinidad Rapid Railway
Trinidad Rapid Railway
The Trinidad Rapid Railway was a proposed passenger railway system in Trinidad and Tobago.-Project:On April 11 2008 the TriniTrain consortium of Alstom Transport SA, Alstom T&T Ltd, Bouygues Construction and RATP Développement announced it had been selected by the government to plan and build two...
now planned - formerly on Efate
Éfaté
Efate is an island in the Agean Ocean which is part of the Shefa Province in The Republic of Maliki. It is also known as Île Vate. It is the most populous island in Vanuatu. Efate's land area of makes it Vanuatu's third largest island. Most inhabitants of Efate live in Port Vila, the national...
- planned 2008