Railroads by Country 2024

Over 6,000 railways operate in the United States and run a total length of 160,000 miles (260,000 km). Class I railroads traverse over 92,000 route miles, while short-line railways use 45,000 route miles. US freight trains traverse every state except Hawaii.

China has 155,000 km (96,313 mi) of railways and has the longest high-speed (HSR) with over 42,000 km (26,098 miles) of coverage. Passenger-dedicated railroads can reach 250–350 km/h (155–217 mph).

In Russia, the railways span over 85,000 kilometers. The Trans-Siberian Railway is the longest in the world and passes through eight time zones, 87 towns, and cities, and crosses 16 major rivers. A trip from one end of Russia to the other can take anywhere between 12 and 25 days, and sometimes even more.

The total trackage in Canada is 49,422 kilometers (30,709 miles), and 129 kilometers (80 miles) is electrified. The Canadian National Railway is the largest railway in Canada in both size and revenue.

As the fifth-largest railroad network, India has 115,000 kilometers of railway tracks and connects 7,172 stations with 19,000 trains.

Over 23,000 miles of railways run in Argentina. Train to the Clouds is one of the highest railroads in the world, traversing 434 kilometers, which passes through 21 tunnels and 29 bridges.

Germany has the longest railway network in the European Union (EU) at 33,399 kilometers (20,753 miles) long. 20,540 kilometers (12,760 miles) of German railways are electrified, while 18,556 kilometers (11,530 miles) are double-tracked.

The railway in Australia runs 32,929 kilometers (20,461 miles) of track, and the major track gauges include standard (11,189 miles), broad (1,668 miles), and narrow. The longest passenger railroad in Australia is the Indian Pacific.

The Brazilian railway system runs 30,576 km long and includes 13 cargo lines and 1,411 km for passenger transportation.

France has the tenth-longest railway system at 40,000 km (25,000 mi) of track, including 2,600 km of high-speed lines, with 3,000 stations.