Railways of the world
The world's railway lines on the map, coloured by type, electrification or gauge, with high-speed lines under construction and the main stations; below, how many kilometres each country has and how many are high-speed.
Key terms
- Railway network
- The length of a country's lines measured along the route: a double-track line counts once.
- High-speed rail
- The UIC (International Union of Railways) defines it by train speed: as a rule at least 250 km/h; for some lines 200 km/h is enough, for example where there is no competition from air travel or in very long tunnels.
- Electrified line
- A line with a wire above the tracks (overhead contact line) or a third rail that brings power to electric trains; diesel trains run on the others.
- Gauge
- The distance between the two rails. The most common is 1435 mm (standard gauge); Russia and its neighbours use 1520 mm, the conventional network of Spain and Portugal 1668 mm, India 1676 mm. Where it changes, trains cannot pass without changing wheels or bogies.
Lines and stations: © OpenStreetMap (ODbL), extract of 26 October 2026, classified by GeoScope.ch. Map: © Protomaps, © OpenStreetMap.
OpenStreetMap is a map made by volunteers: in some countries high-speed lines are tagged where the UIC does not count them, in others they are missing. This is why the lines on the map do not always match the figures in the table, which are the UIC's. Station tracks, sidings, industrial, tourist and heritage railways, metros and trams are not shown. Main stations: those on high-speed lines and the most frequent train terminals in OpenStreetMap.
The world in figures
- Railway network (countries with data)
- 1,289,991 km
- High-speed in operation
- 67,723 km
- of which in China
- 47,803 km
- High-speed under construction
- 16,584 km
- Countries with high-speed rail
- 22
Network: sum of the 136 countries with data in the CIA World Factbook, from different years (2008 to 2023). High-speed: UIC, High-Speed Rail Atlas 2025, data as of 31 December 2024 (pages 5 and 14); the countries are those in its chart, without Taiwan.
Countries
| Country | Network (km) | Year | km per 1000 km² | Electrified | High-speed (km) | Under construction (km) | Max speed (km/h) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States of America | 293,564 | 2014 | 29.9 | – | 735 | 275 | 240 |
| China | 150,000 | 2021 | 15.7 | 67% | 47,803 | 6,243 | 350 |
| Russia | 85,494 | 2019 | 5.0 | – | – | – | – |
| India | 65,554 | 2014 | 19.9 | – | – | 508 | – |
| Canada | 49,422 | 2021 | 4.9 | 0% | – | – | – |
| Germany | 39,379 | 2020 | 110.1 | 53% | 1,941 | 272 | 300 |
| Australia | 32,606 | 2022 | 4.2 | 11% | – | – | – |
| South Africa | 30,400 | 2021 | 24.9 | – | – | – | – |
| Brazil | 29,850 | 2014 | 3.5 | – | – | – | – |
| France | 27,860 | 2020 | 45.9 | 60% | 2,760 | 189 | 320 |
| Japan | 27,311 | 2015 | 72.3 | – | 3,272 | 212 | 320 |
| Mexico | 23,389 | 2017 | 12.0 | – | – | – | – |
| Ukraine | 21,733 | 2014 | 36.0 | – | – | – | – |
| Poland | 19,461 | 2020 | 62.0 | 61% | 224 | – | 200 |
| Italy | 18,475 | 2020 | 61.2 | 70% | 1,097 | 403 | 300 |
| Argentina | 17,866 | 2018 | 6.4 | – | – | – | – |
| Kazakhstan | 16,636 | 2021 | 6.1 | – | – | – | – |
| United Kingdom | 16,390 | 2020 | 67.3 | 38% | 138 | 225 | 300 |
| Spain | 15,489 | 2020 | 30.6 | 64% | 3,993 | 696 | 300 |
| Pakistan | 11,881 | 2021 | 14.9 | – | – | – | – |
| Turkey | 11,497 | 2018 | 14.6 | – | 1,232 | 1,893 | 300 |
| Sweden | 10,910 | 2020 | 20.6 | 75% | 895 | 179 | 200 |
| Romania | 10,628 | 2020 | 44.6 | 38% | – | – | – |
| Czech Republic | 9,548 | 2020 | 121.1 | 34% | – | 77 | – |
| Iran | 8,484 | 2014 | 4.9 | – | – | 410 | – |
| Cuba | 8,367 | 2017 | 76.1 | – | – | – | – |
| Indonesia | 8,159 | 2014 | 4.3 | – | 142 | – | 300 |
| Hungary | 7,687 | 2020 | 82.6 | 40% | – | – | – |
| North Korea | 7,435 | 2014 | 61.7 | – | – | – | – |
| Chile | 7,282 | 2014 | 9.6 | – | – | – | – |
| Sudan | 7,251 | 2014 | 3.9 | – | – | – | – |
| Austria | 6,123 | 2022 | 73.0 | 58% | 254 | 281 | 230 |
| Finland | 5,918 | 2020 | 17.5 | 57% | 1,120 | – | 220 |
| Belarus | 5,528 | 2014 | 26.6 | – | – | – | – |
| Saudi Arabia | 5,410 | 2016 | 2.5 | – | 449 | – | 300 |
| Switzerland | 5,296 | 2020 | 128.3 | 100% | 176 | – | 200 |
| Turkmenistan | 5,113 | 2017 | 10.4 | – | – | – | – |
| Egypt | 5,085 | 2014 | 5.1 | – | – | 1,766 | – |
| Myanmar | 5,031 | 2008 | 7.4 | – | – | – | – |
| Mozambique | 4,787 | 2014 | 6.0 | – | – | – | – |
| Uzbekistan | 4,642 | 2018 | 10.3 | – | – | – | – |
| New Zealand | 4,128 | 2018 | 15.4 | – | – | – | – |
| Thailand | 4,127 | 2017 | 8.0 | – | – | 473 | – |
| Tanzania | 4,097 | 2022 | 4.3 | – | – | – | – |
| Bulgaria | 4,029 | 2020 | 36.3 | 71% | – | – | – |
| Algeria | 4,020 | 2019 | 1.7 | – | – | – | – |
| Democratic Republic of the Congo | 4,007 | 2014 | 1.7 | – | – | – | – |
| South Korea | 3,979 | 2016 | 39.6 | – | 873 | 104 | 305 |
| Bolivia | 3,960 | 2019 | 3.6 | – | – | – | – |
| Norway | 3,848 | 2020 | 10.0 | 65% | – | 54 | – |
| Kenya | 3,819 | 2018 | 6.5 | – | – | – | – |
| Nigeria | 3,798 | 2014 | 4.1 | – | – | – | – |
| Slovakia | 3,627 | 2020 | 74.0 | 44% | – | – | – |
| Belgium | 3,602 | 2020 | 117.4 | 88% | 209 | – | 300 |
| Zimbabwe | 3,427 | 2014 | 8.8 | – | – | – | – |
| Serbia | 3,333 | 2020 | 37.7 | 38% | 78 | 108 | 200 |
| Zambia | 3,126 | 2014 | 4.2 | – | – | – | – |
| Netherlands | 3,055 | 2020 | 73.5 | 76% | 90 | – | 300 |
| Azerbaijan | 2,944 | 2017 | 34.0 | – | – | – | – |
| Angola | 2,761 | 2022 | 2.2 | – | – | – | – |
| Denmark | 2,682 | 2020 | 62.5 | 33% | 56 | 35 | 250 |
| Namibia | 2,628 | 2014 | 3.2 | – | – | – | – |
| Croatia | 2,617 | 2020 | 46.2 | 37% | – | – | – |
| Vietnam | 2,600 | 2014 | 7.8 | – | – | – | – |
| Portugal | 2,526 | 2020 | 27.4 | 67% | – | 79.5 | – |
| Bangladesh | 2,460 | 2014 | 16.7 | – | – | – | – |
| Greece | 2,345 | 2020 | 17.8 | 31% | – | – | – |
| Iraq | 2,272 | 2014 | 5.2 | – | – | 1,200 | – |
| Latvia | 2,216 | 2020 | 34.3 | 12% | – | 265 | – |
| Tunisia | 2,173 | 2014 | 13.3 | – | – | – | – |
| Colombia | 2,141 | 2019 | 1.9 | – | – | – | – |
| Morocco | 2,067 | 2014 | 4.6 | – | 186 | – | 320 |
| Syria | 2,052 | 2014 | 11.1 | – | – | – | – |
| Lithuania | 1,911 | 2020 | 29.3 | 8% | – | 361 | – |
| Peru | 1,854 | 2017 | 1.4 | – | – | – | – |
| Malaysia | 1,851 | 2014 | 5.6 | – | – | – | – |
| Mongolia | 1,815 | 2017 | 1.2 | – | – | – | – |
| Ireland | 1,688 | 2020 | 24.0 | 3% | – | – | – |
| Uruguay | 1,673 | 2016 | 9.5 | – | – | – | – |
| Taiwan * | 1,613 | 2018 | 44.6 | – | 354 | – | 300 |
| Sri Lanka | 1,562 | 2016 | 23.8 | – | – | – | – |
| Israel | 1,497 | 2021 | 67.8 | – | – | 64 | – |
| Estonia | 1,441 | 2020 | 31.8 | 16% | – | 213 | – |
| Georgia | 1,363 | 2014 | 19.6 | – | – | – | – |
| Uganda | 1,244 | 2014 | 5.2 | – | – | – | – |
| Slovenia | 1,207 | 2020 | 58.9 | 50% | – | – | – |
| Moldova | 1,171 | 2014 | 34.6 | – | – | – | – |
| Guinea | 1,086 | 2017 | 4.4 | – | – | – | – |
| Cameroon | 987 | 2014 | 2.1 | – | – | – | – |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 965 | 2014 | 18.8 | – | – | – | – |
| Ecuador | 965 | 2022 | 3.8 | – | – | – | – |
| Ghana | 947 | 2022 | 4.0 | – | – | – | – |
| Senegal | 906 | 2017 | 4.6 | – | – | – | – |
| Botswana | 888 | 2014 | 1.5 | – | – | – | – |
| Madagascar | 836 | 2018 | 1.4 | – | – | – | – |
| Guatemala | 800 | 2018 | 7.3 | – | – | – | – |
| Malawi | 767 | 2014 | 6.5 | – | – | – | – |
| Mauritania | 728 | 2014 | 0.7 | – | – | – | – |
| Honduras | 699 | 2014 | 6.2 | – | – | – | – |
| North Macedonia | 699 | 2020 | 27.2 | 45% | – | – | – |
| Armenia | 686 | 2017 | 23.1 | – | – | – | – |
| Tajikistan | 680 | 2014 | 4.8 | – | – | – | – |
| Ivory Coast | 660 | 2008 | 2.0 | – | – | – | – |
| Ethiopia | 659 | 2017 | 0.6 | – | – | – | – |
| Gabon | 649 | 2014 | 2.4 | – | – | – | – |
| Cambodia | 642 | 2014 | 3.5 | – | – | – | – |
| Burkina Faso | 622 | 2014 | 2.3 | – | – | – | – |
| Fiji | 597 | 2008 | 32.6 | – | – | – | – |
| Mali | 593 | 2014 | 0.5 | – | – | – | – |
| Togo | 568 | 2014 | 10.0 | – | – | – | – |
| Republic of the Congo | 510 | 2014 | 1.5 | – | – | – | – |
| Jordan | 509 | 2020 | 5.7 | – | – | – | – |
| Dominican Republic | 496 | 2014 | 10.2 | – | – | – | – |
| Venezuela | 447 | 2014 | 0.5 | – | – | – | – |
| Benin | 438 | 2014 | 3.8 | – | – | – | – |
| Kosovo * | 437 | 2020 | 40.1 | – | – | – | – |
| Liberia | 429 | 2008 | 3.9 | – | – | – | – |
| Kyrgyzstan | 424 | 2022 | 2.1 | – | – | – | – |
| Albania | 424 | 2017 | 14.7 | – | – | – | – |
| Laos | 422 | 2023 | 1.8 | – | – | – | – |
| Lebanon | 401 | 2017 | 38.4 | – | – | – | – |
| Eritrea | 306 | 2018 | 2.5 | – | – | – | – |
| Eswatini | 301 | 2014 | 17.3 | – | – | – | – |
| Costa Rica | 278 | 2014 | 5.4 | – | – | – | – |
| Luxembourg | 271 | 2020 | 104.6 | 97% | – | – | – |
| Montenegro | 250 | 2017 | 18.0 | – | – | – | – |
| South Sudan | 248 | 2018 | 0.4 | – | – | – | – |
| Djibouti | 97 | 2017 | 4.2 | – | – | – | – |
| Panama | 77 | 2014 | 1.0 | – | – | – | – |
| Philippines | 77 | 2017 | 0.3 | – | – | – | – |
| Isle of Man * | 63 | 2008 | 110.1 | – | – | – | – |
| Nepal | 59 | 2018 | 0.4 | – | – | – | – |
| Saint Kitts and Nevis | 50 | 2008 | 191.6 | – | – | – | – |
| Paraguay | 30 | 2014 | 0.1 | – | – | – | – |
| El Salvador | 12 | 2014 | 0.6 | – | – | – | – |
| Liechtenstein | 9 | 2018 | 56.3 | – | – | – | – |
* Territory or country that is not one of the 195 UN states (members and observers): it appears with its data, but not in the rankings and in the “top ten” lists.
Network, year of the data and electrified share: CIA World Factbook (last edition, February 2026; not every country states how much is electrified). km per 1000 km²: network divided by the country's area. High-speed in operation and under construction and maximum commercial speed: UIC, High-Speed Rail Atlas 2025, data as of 31 December 2024. Taiwan is not in the atlas totals: its 354 km come from the table of lines in service. Joint projects with no split between countries: Malaysia–Singapore and Bahrain–Qatar.
The indicators
Sources: © OpenStreetMap (ODbL), extract of 26 October 2026; CIA World Factbook (factbook.json copy, public domain); UIC, High-Speed Rail Atlas 2025 (7th edition, May 2026), figures quoted with the source.