Total length of railway lines operated at 31 December by track gauge

.. - data not available

Source: UNECE Transport Division Database.

Definition:
Railway : Line of communication made up by rail exclusively for the use of railway vehicles. Line of communication is part of space equipped for the execution of transport.

Railway network : All railways in a given area. This does not include stretches of road or water even if rolling stock should be conveyed over such routes, e.g. by wagon-carrying trailers or ferries. Lines solely used for touristic purposes during the season are excluded as are railways constructed solely to serve mines, forests or other industrial or agricultural undertakings and which are not open to public traffic.

Track : A pair of rails over which railway vehicles can run.

Track gauge : Distance between a pair of rails measured between the inside edges of the rail heads.
The following track gauges are in use:
- Standard gauge: 1.435 m - Large gauge: 1.524 m (VR,SZR); 1.600 m (CIE, NIR); 1.668 m (RENFE, CP)
- Narrow gauge: 0.60 m, 0.70 m,0.75 m, 0.76 m, 0.785 m, 0.90 m, 1.00 m.

Electrified track : Track provided with an overhead trolley wire or with conductor rail to permit electric traction.

Line : One or more adjacent running tracks forming a route between two points. Where a section of network comprises two or more lines running alongside one another, there are as many lines as routes to which tracks are allotted exclusively.

Average length of line operated throughout the year : The length of line used for traffic throughout the reported year (including lines operated jointly with other railway enterprises) plus the average length of lines opened or closed during the year (weighted by the number of days they have been operated). The total length of line operated is the length operated for passenger or goods transport, or both. When a line is operated simultaneously by several enterprises it will be counted only once.

Electrified line : Line with one or more electrified running tracks. Sections of lines adjacent to stations that are electrified only to permit shunting and not electrified as far as the next stations are to be counted as non-electrified lines.

Please note that country footnotes are not always in alphabetical order.

Country: Albania

From 2019 only a part of railway lines are exploited.

Country: Finland

Change in statistical methods in 2015.

Country: Latvia

From 2009, lines temporarily closed are not included.

Country: Netherlands

Data are at 1 April.

Country: Spain

Refers to Renfe and ADIF only

Country: Turkiye

Excludes branch and station lines.

Country: United States

Includes only Class I freight railroads.