Countries with the Longest Railway Networks

Source: Wikipedia

Countries with the Longest Railway Networks

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Key Findings

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China leads in Railway Network Length (Thousand km) with 155 in 2024.

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Average Railway Network Length (Thousand km) in 2024: 74.38 · median: 55.50.

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Gap in 2024: China is 5.2× larger than Brazil.

About This Dataset

Countries with the Longest Railway Networks

Countries ranked by total length of railway network in thousands of kilometres according to UIC World Rail Statistics and CIA World Factbook data. The United States has the world's longest railway network at over 140,000 kilometres — though most of it is freight rail rather than passenger rail, reflecting an American transport model that prioritised cargo movement over passenger service when interstate highways absorbed most short to medium-distance travel demand in the post-war era.

Analysis

China heads the table on 155, ahead of United States (148) and Russia (86) in Railway Network Length (Thousand km) in 2024. 125 separates the highest figure (155) from the lowest (30). First and second are separated by 7, so the leader sits inside the field rather than apart from it. Only 3 of the 8 reach even half the leader's figure (77.5 or more).

Data Insights Below

Data Insights

Numbers, trends & sources behind this chart

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Data Points

8 categories · 1 year

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Top Value

155

China

Railway Network Length (Thousand km) · 2024

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Metrics

Railway Network Length (Thousand km)

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Period

2024

Single year snapshot

Methodology & source

Data source: Wikipedia
Coverage: 8 entities · 2024 · 8 observations
Measure: Railway Network Length (Thousand km)
Last updated: 6 September 2026
Compiled by: The ANYSTAT team, from the source above

How the figures are calculated

Values use the measure and unit named on this page. Consult the dataset description and cited source for coverage, definitions and any unit conversions. Displayed values may be rounded for readability.
Entities are ranked highest-first on their value in 2024.

Rankings & Full Data

8 records · Railway Network Length (Thousand km) · ranked by 2024

✓ 8 sourced

#	Category	2024
🥇	China	155
🥈	United States	148
🥉	Russia	86
4	India	68
5	Canada	43
6	Germany	33
7	Australia	32
8	Brazil	30

Data Sources & References

All external sources cited in this dataset

1 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rail_transport_by_country Visit ↗

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How these countries rank across all our charts

Each country's page lists its position in every ranking on ANYSTAT.

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Cite this chart

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APA

ANYSTAT. (2026). Countries with the Longest Railway Networks [Data set]. Data: Wikipedia. https://anystat.ai/stats/471/worlds-longest-rail-networks-by-country

MLA

"Countries with the Longest Railway Networks." ANYSTAT, 6 Sep. 2026, https://anystat.ai/stats/471/worlds-longest-rail-networks-by-country.

Link for your website

<a href="https://anystat.ai/stats/471/worlds-longest-rail-networks-by-country">Countries with the Longest Railway Networks</a> (ANYSTAT)

Countries with the Longest Railway Networks