Rail Network Length by Country 2020

About This Dataset

This chart ranks countries by the total length of their railway route network in kilometres in 2020. Route-km counts the length of the line itself, not the number of tracks, so a double-track line counts once.

✨ AI Insight

The United States lead with 148,750 route-km, around 40% more than China on 106,235 and nearly double Russia's 85,555. America's position surprises many given its reputation for poor passenger rail, and it reflects a network built overwhelmingly for freight rather than people. Geography dominates this ranking: the top four are the four largest countries by land area with dense economies, and Canada's 48,309 makes it five of the top five. Europe's networks look small by comparison, with Germany on 33,399 and France on 27,872, though both are far denser per square kilometre. Ukraine's 21,626 and South Africa's 20,953 are notable legacies of Soviet-era and mining-era construction.

Source: World Bank (International Union of Railways)

Key Findings

Auto-computed highlights from this dataset

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United States leads with 148,750 in 2020.

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Average value in 2020: 57,927 · median: 40,854.

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Gap in 2020: United States is 8× larger than Poland.