List of countries by rail transport network size

This is a sortable list of countries by rail transport network size based on length of rail lines.

Definition

For the purposes of this page, railway has been defined as a fixed route laid with rails along which wagons can be transported. Wagons may be powered by various means and may be used to transport people or goods. Temporary lines laid for specific purposes are not considered unless specified. Countries include the nations listed in the List of sovereign states along with reference ISO 3166 codes which list ISO 3166-1 numeric three-digit country codes which are maintained by the United Nations Statistics Division.

Countries with active network size

Operational length in km:
  1. United States: 220,044 (17.3%)
  2. China: 165,000 (12.9%)
  3. Russia: 105,000 (8.24%)
  4. India: 70,117 (5.50%)
  5. Canada: 49,422 (3.88%)
  6. Germany: 33,351 (2.62%)
  7. Australia: 32,924 (2.58%)
  8. Brazil: 29,817 (2.34%)
  9. France: 27,483 (2.16%)
  10. Japan: 27,311 (2.14%)
  11. Italy: 24,567 (1.93%)
  12. Mexico: 23,389 (1.83%)
  13. South Africa: 20,953 (1.64%)
  14. Romania: 20,077 (1.57%)
  15. Ukraine: 19,787 (1.55%)
  16. Others: 405,791 (31.8%)
Country/Territory Length (km) % of the total
electrified
(per route km) Historical peak
length (km)
Nationalized or private Data year References ISO 3166-1
Total Electrified Area (km2) Population
 United States 220,044 1,906 0.87% 44.69 1,522 428,180 (1917) Track ownership and freight mostly private, passenger mostly public 2019 840
 China 165,000 122,000 74.40% 60.61 8,865 165,000 (2025) Nationalized, with a number of industrial lines owned by private companies 2025 156
 Russia 105,118 54,073 51.48% 162.84 1,367 118,000

(1991)

Nationalized 2023 643
 India 70,117 69,712 99.4% 47.93 21,038 70,117 (2025) Nationalized, with some private freight operators. 2025 356
 Canada 49,422 129 0.20% 214.48 674 69,636 (1940) Freight - private
Passenger - public
2017 124
 Germany 33,351 20,851 62.52% 10.72 2,482 61,498 (1910) Nationalized with private operators 2023 276
 Australia 32,924 3,448 10.47% 231.91 742 41,843 (1962) Both 2022 036
 Brazil 29,817 432 1.6% 299.6 7,225 38,000 (1957) Both 2014 076
 France 27,483 16,067 58.46% 22.78 2,374 63,000 (1923) Nationalized 2019 250
 Japan 27,311 20,534 75.19% 13.84 4,647 Both 2015 392
 Italy 24,567 12,205 49.68% 15.03 3,026 Infrastructure nationalized with private operators. 2023
 Mexico 23,389 802.7 3.43% 114.43 6,697 26,914 Majority of infrastructure nationalized. Private and public operators 2020 484
 South Africa 20,953 7,413 35.38% 58.28 2,577 Nationalized 2017 710
 Romania 20,077 6,600 32.87% 22.13 1,823 23,955 Nationalized with private operators 2023 642
 Ukraine 19,787 9,319 47.1% 28.81 2,140 Nationalized 2019 804
 Poland 19,576 12,236 62.51% 16.28 2,001 27,000 (1954) Nationalized with private operators 2023 616
 Argentina 17,866 190 0.51% 77.45 1,117 47,500 (1957) Both 2019 032
 Iran 16,998 2,200 12.94% 148.41 6,816 Nationalized 2014 364
 Spain 16,355 11,127 68.03% 31.73 2,920 18,000+ (in 1950s) Nationalized with private operators 2017 724
 United Kingdom 16,179 6,065 37.49% 15.10 4,178 34,075 (1929) State-owned infrastructure with passenger operations mainly now publicly run with a handful of open access and contracted operators in Great Britain and publicly run in Northern Ireland. 2023 826
 Kazakhstan 15,530 4,200 27.04% 175 1,146 Nationalized 2016 398
 Turkey 13,919 7,142 51.3% 76 7,821 Nationalized 2023 792
 Myanmar 11,025 0 0.00% 171.07 12,127 Nationalized 2006 104
 Sweden 10,912 8,186 75.02% 41 958 16,900 (around 1938) Nationalized with private operators
Most services subject to franchising.
2021 752
 Czech Republic 9,567 3,237 33.84% 8.24 1,106 Nationalized with private operators 2017 203
 Indonesia 8,260 621 7.51% 219.31 32,712 8,260 Nationalized 2023 360
 Hungary 7,945 2,889 36.36% 11.71 1,233 Nationalized with private operators 2017 348
 Pakistan 7,791 27.1 0.34% 117.74 32,433 8,122 (in 1947) Nationalized 2015 586
 Egypt 7,024 62 0.88% 153.43 13,888 Nationalized 2017 818
 Chile 6,634 700 10.55% 128.2 2,931 8,930 (1930) Nationalized 2018 152
 Sudan 6,084 0 0.00% 339.81 5,640 Nationalized 2006 729
 Finland 5,926 3,270 55.18% 57.06 929 Nationalized 2017 246
 North Korea 5,735 3,894 67.9% 23.03 4,595 Nationalized 2006 408
 Saudi Arabia 5,590 453 8.10% 384.56 6,254 Nationalized 2019 682
 Cuba 8,193 0 0.00% 21.84 2,215 14,152 Nationalized 2010 192
 Belarus 5,459 874 16.01% 38.03 1,741 Nationalized 2016 112
 Switzerland 5,317 5,317 100.00% 7.76 1,631 5,868 (1930) Both, but majority is nationalized 2020 756
 Turkmenistan 5,080 0 0.00% 153.44 1,585 Nationalized 2014 795
 Austria 4,859 3,650 75.12% 15.18 1,587 7,166 (1930) Nationalized with private operators 2022 040
 South Korea 4,837 3,787 78.29% 20.76 10,716 Nationalized 2020 410
 Uzbekistan 4,669 2,500 53.54% 94.8 6,969 6,950 Nationalized 2020 860
 Algeria 4,560 480 10.53% 522.31 9,061 4,815 (1930) Nationalized 2022 012
 Norway 4,240 2,895 68.3% 76.36 1291 4,471 (1950) Nationalized with private operators 2023 578
 New Zealand 4,128 506 12.26% 64.64 1,070 5,681 (1950) Nationalized 2018 554
 DR Congo 4,096 852 20.80% 585.19 16,463 2008 180
 Thailand 4,845 107 2.18% 126.04 16,084 Nationalized 2025 764
 Bulgaria 4,029 3,005 74.58% 27.55 1,763 6507 Nationalized 2023 100
 Serbia 3,764 1,279 33.98% 23.48 1,866 Nationalized 2017 688
 Slovakia 3,626 1,587 43.77% 13.52 1,499 Nationalized 2017 703
 Portugal 2,527 1,791 70.87% 36.13 4,049 3,622 Nationalized 2023 620
 Belgium 3,607 2,960 82.06% 8.48 3,140 5,081 (1940) Nationalized 2018 056
 Bangladesh 4,458 20 0.45% 33.30 39,178 4,458 Nationalized 2021, 2022 050
 Nigeria 3,600 0 0.00% 261.84 44,904 Nationalized 2006 566
 Vietnam 3,315 0 0.00% 141.12 27,765 Nationalized 2023 704
 Mozambique 3,249 0 0.00% 256.54 6,604 2008 508
 Zimbabwe 3,136 313 9.98% 130.25 4,190 Nationalized 2010 716
 Netherlands 3,055 2,314 75.74% 13.59 5,591 3,407 (1920) Nationalized with private operators
Rural lines subject to franchising.
2017 528
 Azerbaijan 2,944 1,278 43.41% 41.88 4,666 Nationalized 2015 031
 Uruguay 1,791 0 0.00% 58.88 1,121 2,961 Nationalized 2006 858
 Bolivia 1,954 0 0.00% 383.32 3,638 3,692 (1997) Nationalized 2011 068
 Angola 2,761 0 0.00% 451.54 6,911 2,764 Nationalized 2006 024
 Syria 2,750 0 0.00% 86.57 11,078 Nationalized 2010 760
 Tanzania 2,600 440 15.40% 348.02 15,866 Nationalized 2006 834
 Croatia 2,604 985 37.83% 21.71 1,595 Nationalized 2017 191
 Kenya 2,541 0 0.00% 228.4 17,643 Nationalized 2013 404
 Namibia 2,382 0 0.00% 346.05 877 Nationalized 2006 516
 Greece 2,240 764 34.11% 58.91 4,808 2,632 (1940) Semi-Privatized 2017 300
 Ethiopia 2,185 1,401 64.12% 1,675.72 150,935 Nationalized 2016 231
 Tunisia 2,165 0 0.00% 75.57 5,326 2,173 (1950) Nationalized 2018 788
 Morocco 2,109 1,022 48.46% 211.74 16,946 Nationalized 2017 504
 Malaysia 2,041 1,028 50.37% 162.06 15,383 Nationalized 2021 458
 Iraq 2,032 0 0.00% 215.71 15,587 2,029(1985) Nationalized 2006 368
 Peru 2,020 0 0.00% 636.25 14,585 4,205 (1930) Private 2008 604
 Denmark 2,610 964 36.93% 21.69 2,893 5,290 (1931) Nationalized,

rural lines franchised

2017 208
 Lithuania 1,910 156 8.17% 33.8 1,490 2,147 (1950) Nationalized 2021 440
 Latvia 1,860 257 13.82% 35.11 1,048 2,763 (1920) Nationalized 2017 428
 Mongolia 1,810 0 0.00% 864.15 1,560 Nationalized 2008 496
 Taiwan 1,782 1,300 72.95% 21.25 13,638 5,000 Nationalized (Conventional network)
Private (High-Speed network)
2018 158
 Ireland 2,400 53 3.15% 41.83 3,065 4,354 (1921 - this included Northern Ireland) Nationalized 2025 372
 Colombia 1,663 0 0.00% 648.85 27,770 Private 2007 170
 Georgia 1,576 1,288 81.73% 44.23 2,360 Nationalized 2016 268
 Sri Lanka 1,561 0 0.00% 43.51 13,696 1,530 (1930–1940) Nationalized 2024 144
 Israel 1,511 700 46.32% 14.61 6,487 Nationalized 2024 excludes urban rail 376
 Uganda 1,244 0 0.00% 930.65 122,780 Nationalized 2002 800
 Zambia 1,237 0 0.00% 608.42 10,547 2006 894
 Slovenia 1,209 503 41.60% 16.75 1,709 Nationalized 2017 705
 Estonia 1,161 132 11.37% 38.96 1,134 3,000 Both 2017 233
 Moldova 1,151 0 0.00% 29.4 3,084 Nationalized 2017 498
 Bosnia and Herzegovina 1,018 565 55.50% 50.29 3,445 Nationalized 2017 070
 Cameroon 977 0 0.00% 486.63 23,367 1,104 2015 120
 Ecuador 966 0 0.00% 293.54 14,810 1,131 (1930) 2006 Services ceased 2020 218
 Ghana 953 0 0.00% 250.30 25,429 2006 288
 Senegal 906 0 0.00% 217.12 16,534 2015 686
 United Arab Emirates 900 0 0.00% 92.8 12,252 900 Nationalized 2023 784
 Botswana 888 0 0.00% 655.1 2,488 2014 072
 Guatemala 1.6 0 0.00% 123.04 16,228 799.8 Private 2004 Cross-border line from Mexico, otherwise ceased 2007 320
 Madagascar 848 0 0.00% 692.27 28,573 2015 450
 Guinea 837 0 0.00% 293.74 11,926 2006 324
 Gabon 810 0 0.00% 330.45 1,858 2007 266
 Malawi 797 0 0.00% 148.66 18,696 2007 454
 Congo 795 0 0.00% 430.19 5086 Nationalized 2006 178
 Benin 758 0 0.00% 148.58 11,581 2006 204
 Mali 729 0 0.00% 1,701.22 22,606 2013 466
 Mauritania 728 0 0.00% 1,415.80 4,753 Nationalized 2008 478
 Armenia 703 703 100.00% 42.31 4,168 Nationalized 2016 051
 Honduras 67 0 0.00% 160.36 11,753 785 (1993) 2006 340
 North Macedonia 683 313 45.83% 37.65 3,037 Nationalized 2017 807
 Cambodia 650 0 0.00% 278.52 24,994 Nationalized 2018 116
 Ivory Coast 639 0 0.00% 504.64 30,889 2007 384
 Burkina Faso 622 0 0.00% 440.84 25,291 2006 854
 Tajikistan 616 0 0.00% 232.31 11,167 Nationalized 2007 762
 Fiji 597 0 0.00% 30.61 1,442 2006 242
 Togo 568 0 0.00% 100 10,613 2006 768
 El Salvador 562 0 0.00% 37.44 10,221 2007 222
 Philippines 532 53 10.01% 560.15 211,800 1,352 (1940) Nationalized 2021 608
 Dominican Republic 517 0 0.00% 94.14 18,141 2006 214
 Liberia 490 0 0.00% 227.28 8,151 Private 2006 430
 Laos 424 414 97.64% 561.2 17,587 Nationalized (operated by China) 2021 418
 Kyrgyzstan 417 0 0.00% 479.38 13,446 2012 417
 Panama 355 0 0.00% 212.45 9,594 2006 591
 Venezuela 336 0 0.00% 2,714.43 87,458 1020 (1950) 2006 862
 Albania 334 0 0.00% 86.07 8,602 Nationalized with private operators 2016 008
 Eritrea 306 0 0.00% 384.31 17,170 Nationalized 2006 232
 Eswatini 301 0 0.00% 57.69 3,940 2008 748
 Singapore 281 280 99.7% 2.56 20,892 State owned infrastructure with passenger operations contracted out 2025 702
 Costa Rica 278 0 0.00% 183.81 16,416 2007 188
 Luxembourg 275 275 100.00% 9.4 2,148 534 (1920–1940) Nationalized 2017 442
 Hong Kong 268 268 100.00% 5.08 33,165 Nationalized (de facto) 2014 344
 Montenegro 250 225 90.00% 55.25 2,490 Nationalized 2017 499
 South Sudan 248 0 0.00% 2,598.10 48,864 728
 Suriname 166 0 0.00% 986.87 3,163 2001 activity ceased 1980's 740
 Niger 143 0 0.00% 8,860.14 171,220 Private 562
 Guyana 127 0 0.00% 1,149.57 4,197 166 (1920) 2001 est. activity ceased around 2007 328
 Djibouti 93 81 86.9% 252.17 9,203 80 2016 262
 Sierra Leone 84 0 0.00% 854.05 69,857 544 (1920) 2001 694
 Qatar 82 82 100.00% 141.11 34,091 634
 Afghanistan 75 0 0.00% 8,696.40 418,827 Nationalized (operated by neighbouring countries) 2011 004
 Jamaica 65 0 0.00% 40.41 9,948 348 (1950) 2003 388
 Saint Kitts and Nevis 58 0 0.00% 5.22 1,040 2006 659
 Nepal 57 0 0.00% 2,582.12 514,035 146 2017 [citation needed] 524
 Paraguay 38 0 0.00% 11,298.67 173,056 376 2006 600
 Mauritius 30 30 100.00% 68 42,182 206 (1904–1928) Nationalized 2024 LRT 480
 Puerto Rico 17 17 100.00% 143.65 38,810 370 2006 630
 Brunei 13 0 0.00% 443.46 30,692 2001 est. see next table 096
 Macau 13 13 100.00% 9.83 6,200 13 (since 2023) Nationalized 2023 LRT 446
 Liechtenstein 9 9 100.00% 17.78 4,017 9 (since 1872) Nationalized (operated by Austria) 2024 438
 Nauru 3.9 0 0.00% 4.20 2,000 2001 520
 Monaco 1.7 1.7 100.00% 1.18 20,588 3.5 (1868–1958) Nationalized (operated by France) 2024 492
 Lesotho 1.6 0 0.00% 10,118.33 723,667 1995 426
 Vatican City 0.3 0 0.00% 1.47 3,333 0.3 (since 1934) Nationalized (operated by Italy) 2024 336
 European Union 202,100 115,220 56.98% 20.33 2,113.37 Both 2024
World 1,374,001 426,313 31.03% 107.95 372.12 4,814 2006
Notes
  1. This refers to both track ownership and train operation
  2. This figure is the sum of the electrified lengths of the following railways: Amtrak (735 km), Deseret Power Railway (53 km), Iowa Traction Railway (9 km), Long Island Rail Road (237 km), Metra (99 km), Metro-North Railroad (255 km), NJ Transit Rail Operations (159 km), SEPTA Regional Rail (277 km) and Caltrain (82 km).
  3. Freight operated by private on public tracks
    commuter and metro operated by state
  4. The figure is mentioned as the total network length in 1990, but the total network length may have grown after 1990.
  5. The Spanish railway network comprises the 11,934.3 km of the ADIF network (6,706.4 of them are electrified), the 3,455.7 electrified km of the ADIF AV network, the electrified Catalan FGC (253.4 km) and the electrified Metro networks of Madrid (293 km), Barcelona (166 km), Valencia (156.4 km), Bilbao (51 km), Seville (18 km), Palma (15.6 km) and Málaga (12 km).
  6. This figure is a combination of the Great British (15,846 km) and Northern Irish (333 km) networks.
  7. This is the figure for Great Britain, as Northern Ireland does not have any electrified railways.
  8. This figure is a combination of the British (20,419 mi) and Northern Irish (754 mi) networks in 1929. This gives a total of 21,173 mi, which is 34,075 km.
  9. This figure includes: Keretapi Tanah Melayu (1,655 km; 776 km electrified), Express Rail Link (57 km electrified), Sabah State Railway (134 km unelectrified) and the MRT and LRT network of Klang Valley (195 km electrified)
  10. Includes: MRT (242.5 km), LRT (28.8 km), Changi Airport Skytrain (6.4 km), Sentosa Express (2.1 km), KTM West Coast Line (approximately 1 km? in Singapore, unelectrified)
  11. 81 km electrified main line of the Addis Ababa–Djibouti Railway plus 12 km unelectrified continuation to port. Main line length may include a few kilometres within Ethiopia between the border station in Dewele and the political border.
  12. The European Union (EU) is an economic and political union of 27 member states that are located primarily in Europe. The EU is included as a separate entity because it has many attributes of independent nations, being much more than a free-trade association such as ASEAN, NAFTA, or Mercosur. Transport and trans-European networks are among the shared competencies between the EU and member states. As the EU is not a country, the United States is the first ranked country on these lists.

Active network size by region

Operational length in km:
  1. Asia: 380,583 (30.1%)
  2. Europe: 376,924 (29.8%)
  3. North America: 302,968.6 (23.9%)
  4. Africa: 85,476.6 (6.75%)
  5. South America: 82,478 (6.51%)
  6. Oceania: 37,652.9 (2.97%)
  7. Antarctica: 0 (0.00%)
Region Continent Length (km) % of the total
electrified
(per route km)
Total Electrified Area (km2) Population
Africa 85,476.6 4,600 5.38% 355.30 16,304
Asia 380,583 233,331.1 61.31% 117.13 12,335
ASEAN Asia 31,375 2,493 7.95% 144.14 21,778
Europe 376,924 207,070.7 54.94% 27.02 1,977
European Union Europe 211,430 118,363 55.98% 20.33 2,113
North America 302,968.6 2,959.7 0.98% 815.56 1,955
Oceania 37,652.9 3,954 10.5% 239.02 1,181
South America 82,478 9,915 12.02% 216.30 5,265

Countries without active network

Former operators

Countries with defunct rail networks
Country Comment ISO 3166-1
 Antigua and Barbuda Had agricultural / industrial lines 028
 Bahamas Had a plantation railway 044
 Barbados Had a public railway. Has a 3 km tourist line opened in 2019. 052
 Belize Had one public railway and a number of private lines 084
 Brunei Has a 4 km section of pier railway (so is outside the definition for this article) 096
 Burundi Had an internal port railway 108
 Cape Verde Had a harbour railway 132
 Central African Republic Had a short portage railway 140
 Comoros Had plantation railways 174
 Cyprus Cyprus Government Railway operated 1905 to 1951 196
 Dominica Had a forestry railway 212
 Equatorial Guinea Had a line on Isla de Bioko 226
 Gambia Had minor port / industrial lines 270
 Grenada Had a very minor industrial line 308
 Guinea-Bissau 624
 Guyana Had a number of public lines until the 1970s and industrial lines until around 2007 328
 Haiti Rails still in Port-au-Prince from railway from factories to port, left out of service since the 1970s. 332
 Iceland Had short industrial lines, see Rail transport in Iceland for proposals 352
 Jordan Had passenger and freight lines, see Rail transport in Jordan 400
 Kiribati Had industrial lines 296
 Lebanon Had from 1890 until 1970 (future projects to build a railway from Tyre to Tripoli) 422
 Libya 1912 to 1965 (peak length of 399 km); (network under construction in 2008–2011, but works stopped, see Libyan Railways) 434
 Malta Had a railway line from 1883 until 1931 (11 km) and a three line tramway network from 1905 until 1929 (circa 14 km) 470
 Micronesia 583
 Nicaragua Suspended in September 2001 558
 Oman Proposals as part of Gulf Railway. Has a short tourist line at the Al Hoota Cave. 512
 Palau Had an industrial line. Has a short tourist monorail (of small gauge) 585
 Papua New Guinea Had numerous plantation and mining railways, all closed by the early 1990s. Line from Lae to Vanimo proposed (see Transport in Papua New Guinea). 598
 Rwanda Had industrial lines, out of use since the 1990s. Lines to Uganda and/or Tanzania (see Isaka–Kigali Standard Gauge Railway) proposed 646
 Saint Lucia 662
 Samoa 882
 San Marino A short section (800 metres or 0.5 miles) of the electric railway that linked Rimini (Italy) and San Marino City until 1944 has been restored. 674
 São Tomé and Príncipe 678
 Solomon Islands Small railways used to transport bananas and copra, all closed by 1970. 090
 Somalia Mogadishu–Villabruzzi Railway existed from 1914 to 1941 706
 Suriname 740
 Tonga 776
 Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad Government Railway from 1876 until 1968; Trinidad Rapid Railway was planned but cancelled 780
 Vanuatu Suggested to have had a line on Efate 548
 Yemen Had lines from the mountains to Aden and Al Hudaydah, all closed by 1929 887

 Bermuda, a British overseas territory, had a railway operating from 1931 to 1948.

Never had a network

Countries which never had railways
Country Comment ISO 3166-1
 Andorra There are proposals to construct a line 020
 Bahrain Proposed as part of Gulf Railway 048
 Bhutan A link to India is proposed 064
 Chad See Rail transport in Chad for proposals 148
 Timor-Leste 626
 Kuwait Proposed as part of Gulf Railway 414
 Maldives 462
 Marshall Islands 584
 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 670
 Seychelles 690
 Tuvalu Planned but cancelled 798

See also

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