The CIA World Factbook Edition 2005 Transportation
Railways In 36 editions of 36.
Railways was published in 36 editions of the CIA World Factbook, from 1990 to 2025. The 2005 edition carries it in 138 entries, in its Transportation section. Every entry is shown as that edition published it.
- entries in the 2005 edition
- 138
- the first edition with it
- 1990
- the latest edition with it
- 2025
Published as “Railways” (1996 to 2025) and “Railroads” (1990 to 1995).
the entry has the field in that editionnot in that editionthe open editionEach entry below ends in its editions with Railways, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down; choose one in a row to read that edition’s text there.
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Entries with Railways in each edition
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World
1 entryWorld
- total:
- 1,115,205 km
- broad gauge:
- 257,481 km
- standard gauge:
- 671,413 km
- narrow gauge:
- 186,311 km (2003)
Africa
37 entriesAlgeria
- total:
- 3,973 km
- standard gauge:
- 2,888 km 1.435-m gauge (283 km electrified)
- narrow gauge:
- 1,085 km 1.055-m gauge (2004)
Burkina Faso
- total:
- 622 km
- narrow gauge:
- 622 km 1.000-m gauge
- note:: another 660 km of this railway extends into Cote D'Ivoire (2004)
Congo, Democratic Republic of the now Democratic Republic of the Congo
- total:
- 5,138 km
- narrow gauge:
- 3,987 km 1.067-m gauge (858 km electrified);
- 125 km 1.000-m gauge;
- 1,026 km 0.600-m gauge (2004)
Congo, Republic of the now Republic of the Congo
- total:
- 894 km
- narrow gauge:
- 894 km 1.067-m gauge (2004)
Cote d'Ivoire
- total:
- 660 km
- narrow gauge:
- 660 km 1.000-meter gauge
note: an additional 622 km of this railroad extends into Burkina Faso (2004)
Djibouti
- total:
- 100 km (Djibouti segment of the Addis Ababa-Djibouti railway)
- narrow gauge:
- 100 km 1.000-m gauge
note: railway under joint control of Djibouti and Ethiopia (2004)
Ethiopia
- total:
- 681 km (Ethiopian segment of the Addis Ababa-Djibouti railroad)
- narrow gauge:
- 681 km 1.000-m gauge
note: railway under joint control of Djibouti and Ethiopia (2004)
Liberia
- total:
- 490 km
- standard gauge:
- 345 km 1.435-m gauge
- narrow gauge:
- 145 km 1.067-m gauge
note: none of the railways are in operation because of the civil war (2004)
Libya
0 km
note: Libya is working on 7 lines totaling 2,757 km of 1.435-m gauge track; it hopes to have trains running by 2008 (2004)
Nigeria
- total:
- 3,557 km
- narrow gauge:
- 3,505 km 1.067-m gauge
- standard gauge:
- 52 km 1.435-m gauge (2004)
South Africa
- total:
- 20,872 km
- narrow gauge:
- 20,436 km 1.065-m gauge (10,436 km electrified); 436 km 0.610-m gauge
note: includes a 1,210 km commuter rail system (2004)
Sudan
- total:
- 5,995 km
- narrow gauge:
- 4,595 km 1.067-m gauge; 1,400 km .600-m gauge for cotton plantations (2004)
Tunisia
- total:
- 2,152 km
- standard gauge:
- 468 km 1.435-m gauge
- narrow gauge:
- 1,674 km 1.000-m gauge (65 km electrified)
- dual gauge:
- 10 km 1.435-m and 1.000-m gauges (three rails) (2004)
Zambia
- total:
- 2,173 km
- narrow gauge:
- 2,173 km 1.067-m gauge
note: includes 891 km of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) (2004)
Asia
19 entriesArmenia
- total:
- 845 km
- broad gauge:
- 845 km 1.520-m gauge (828 km electrified)
note: some lines are out of service (2004)
Bangladesh
- total:
- 2,706 km
- broad gauge:
- 884 km 1.676-m gauge
- narrow gauge:
- 1,822 km 1.000-m gauge (2004)
China
- total:
- 71,898 km
- standard gauge:
- 71,898 km 1.435-m gauge (18,115 km electrified)
- dual gauge:
- 23,945 km (multiple track not included in total) (2002)
Georgia
- total:
- 1,612 km (1,612 km electrified)
- broad gauge:
- 1,575 km 1.520-m gauge (1,575 electrified)
- narrow gauge:
- 37 km 0.912-m gauge (37 electrified) (2004)
India
- total:
- 63,230 km (16,693 km electrified)
- broad gauge:
- 45,718 km 1.676-m gauge
- narrow gauge:
- 14,406 km 1.000-m gauge; 3,106 km 0.762-m gauge and 0.610-m gauge (2004)
Japan
- total:
- 23,577 km (16,519 km electrified)
- standard gauge:
- 3,204 km 1.435-m gauge (3,204 km electrified)
- narrow gauge:
- 77 km 1.372-m gauge (77 km electrified);
- 20,265 km 1.067-m gauge (13,227 km electrified);
- 11 km 0.762-m gauge (11 km electrified) (2004)
Korea, North now North Korea
- total:
- 5,214 km
- standard gauge:
- 5,214 km 1.435-m gauge (3,500 km electrified) (2004)
Korea, South now South Korea
- total:
- 3,472 km
- standard gauge:
- 3,472 km 1.435-m gauge (1,342 km electrified) (2004)
Pakistan
- total:
- 8,163 km
- broad gauge:
- 7,718 km 1.676-m gauge (293 km electrified)
- narrow gauge:
- 445 km 1.000-m gauge (2004)
Russia
- total:
- 87,157 km
- broad gauge:
- 86,200 km 1.520-m gauge (40,300 km electrified)
- narrow gauge:
- 957 km 1.067-m gauge (on Sakhalin Island)
note: an additional 30,000 km of non-common carrier lines serve industries (2004)
Central America and the Caribbean
11 entriesCuba
- total:
- 4,226 km
- standard gauge:
- 4,226 km 1.435-m gauge (140 km electrified)
note: an additional 7,742 km of track is used by sugar plantations; about 65% of this track is standard gauge; the rest is narrow gauge (2004)
Dominican Republic
- total:
- 1,743 km
- standard gauge:
- 375 km 1.435-m gauge
- narrow gauge:
- 142 km 0.762-m gauge
note: additional 1,226 km operated by sugar companies in 1.076-m, 0.889-m, and 0.762-m gauges (2004)
El Salvador
- total:
- 283 km
- narrow gauge:
- 283 km 0.914-m gauge
note: length of operational route reduced from 562 km to 283 km by disuse and lack of maintenance (2004)
Jamaica
- total:
- 272 km
- standard gauge:
- 272 km 1.435-m gauge
note: 207 of these km belonging to the Jamaica Railway Corporation had been in common carrier service until 1992 but are no longer operational; 57 km of the remaining track is privately owned and used by ALCAN to transport bauxite (2003)
Saint Kitts and Nevis
- total:
- 50 km
- narrow gauge:
- 50 km 0.762-m gauge on Saint Kitts to serve sugarcane plantations during harvest season (2003)
Europe
37 entriesAustria
- total:
- 6,021 km (3,552 km electrified)
- standard gauge:
- 5,565 km 1.435-m gauge (3,430 km electrified)
- narrow gauge:
- 34 km 1.000-m gauge (28 km electrified); 422 km 0.760-m gauge (94 km electrified) (2004)
Belarus
- total:
- 5,512 km
- broad gauge:
- 5,497 km 1.520-m gauge (874 km electrified)
- standard gauge:
- 15 km 1.435-m (2004)
Bosnia and Herzegovina
- total:
- 1,021 km (795 km electrified)
- standard gauge:
- 1,021 km 1.435-m gauge (2004)
Bulgaria
- total:
- 4,294 km
- standard gauge:
- 4,049 km 1.435-m gauge (2,710 km electrified)
- narrow gauge:
- 245 km 0.760-m gauge (2004)
Czech Republic now Czechia
- total:
- 9,543 km
- standard gauge:
- 9,421 km 1.435-m gauge (2,893 km electrified)
- narrow gauge:
- 122 km 0.760-m gauge (23 km electrified) (2004)
European Union
- total:
- 222,293 km
- broad gauge:
- 28,438 km
- standard gauge:
- 186,405 km
- narrow gauge:
- 7,427 km
- other:
- 23 km (2003)
France
- total:
- 29,519 km
- standard gauge:
- 29,352 km 1.435-m gauge (14,481 km electrified)
- narrow gauge:
- 167 km 1.000-m gauge (2004)
Germany
- total:
- 46,142 km (20,100 km electrified)
- standard gauge:
- 45,928 km 1.435-m gauge (20,084 km electrified)
- narrow gauge:
- 214 km 1.000-m gauge (16 km electrified); 24 km 0.750-m gauge (2004)
Greece
- total:
- 2,571 km (764 km electrified)
- standard gauge:
- 1,565 km 1.435-m gauge
- narrow gauge:
- 961 km 1.000-m gauge; 22 km 0.750-m gauge
- dual gauge:
- 23 km combined 1.435-m and 1.000-m gauges (three rail system) (2004)
Hungary
- total:
- 7,937 km
- broad gauge:
- 36 km 1.524-m gauge
- standard gauge:
- 7,682 km 1.435-m gauge (2,628 km electrified)
- narrow gauge:
- 219 km 0.760-m gauge (2004)
Ireland
- total:
- 3,312 km
- broad gauge:
- 1,947 km 1.600-m gauge (46 km electrified)
- narrow gauge:
- 1,365 km 0.914-m gauge (operated by the Irish Peat Board to transport peat to power stations and briquetting plants) (2004)
Italy
- total:
- 19,319 km (11,613 km electrified)
- standard gauge:
- 18,001 km 1.435-m gauge (11,333 km electrified)
- narrow gauge:
- 123 km 1.000-m gauge (122 km electrified); 1,195 km 0.950-m gauge (158 km electrified) (2004)
Latvia
- total:
- 2,303 km
- broad gauge:
- 2,270 km 1.520-m gauge (257 km electrified)
- narrow gauge:
- 33 km 0.750-m gauge (2004)
Lithuania
- total:
- 1,998 km
- broad gauge:
- 1,807 km 1.524-m gauge (122 km electrified)
- standard gauge:
- 22 km 1.435-m gauge
- narrow gauge:
- 169 km 0.750-m gauge (2004)
Moldova
- total:
- 1,138 km
- broad gauge:
- 1,124 km 1.520-m gauge
- standard gauge:
- 14 km 1.435-m gauge (2004)
Macedonia now North Macedonia
- total:
- 699 km
- standard gauge:
- 699 km 1.435-m gauge (233 km electrified) (2004)
Poland
- total:
- 23,852 km
- broad gauge:
- 629 km 1.524-m gauge
- standard gauge:
- 23,223 km 1.435-m gauge (20,555 km operational) (11,962 km electrified) (2004)
Portugal
- total:
- 2,850 km
- broad gauge:
- 2,576 km 1.668-m gauge (623 km electrified)
- narrow gauge:
- 274 km 1.000-m gauge (2004)
Romania
- total:
- 11,385 km (3,888 km electrified)
- standard gauge:
- 10,898 km 1.435-m gauge
- broad gauge:
- 60 km 1.524-m gauge
- narrow gauge:
- 427 km 0.760-m gauge (2004)
Serbia and Montenegro
- total:
- 4,380 km
- standard gauge:
- 4,380 km 1.435-m gauge (1,364 km electrified) (2004)
Slovakia
- total:
- 3,662 km
- broad gauge:
- 100 km 1.520-m gauge
- standard gauge:
- 3,512 km 1.435-m gauge (1,588 km electrified)
- narrow gauge:
- 50 km (1.000-m or 0.750-m gauge) (2004)
Spain
- total:
- 14,781 km (7,718 km electrified)
- broad gauge:
- 11,829 km 1.668-m gauge (6,950 km electrified)
- standard gauge:
- 998 km 1.435-m gauge (998 km electrified)
- narrow gauge:
- 1,926 km 1.000-m gauge (815 km electrified); 28 km 0.914-m gauge (28 km electrified) (2004)
Switzerland
- total:
- 4,527 km
- standard gauge:
- 3,232 km 1.435-m gauge (3,211 km electrified)
- narrow gauge:
- 1,285 km 1.000-m gauge (1,273 km electrified); 10 km 0.800-m gauge (10 km electrified) (2004)
United Kingdom
- total:
- 17,274 km
- standard gauge:
- 16,814 km 1.435-m gauge (5,296 km electrified)
- broad gauge:
- 460 km 1.600-m gauge (in Northern Ireland) (2004)
Middle East
8 entriesIran
- total:
- 7,203 km
- broad gauge:
- 94 km 1.676-m gauge
- standard gauge:
- 7,109 km 1.435-m gauge (189 km electrified) (2004)
Lebanon
- total:
- 401 km
- standard gauge:
- 319 km 1.435-m
- narrow gauge:
- 82 km 1.050-m
note: rail system became unusable because of damage during the civil war in the 1980s; short sections are operable (2004)
Saudi Arabia
- total:
- 1,392 km
- standard gauge:
- 1,392 km 1.435-m gauge (with branch lines and sidings) (2004)
Syria
- total:
- 2,711 km
- standard gauge:
- 2,460 km 1.435-m gauge
- narrow gauge:
- 251 km 1.050-m gauge (2004)
Turkey now Turkiye
- total:
- 8,697 km
- standard gauge:
- 8,697 km 1.435-m gauge (2,122 km electrified) (2004)
North America
3 entriesOceania
3 entriesAustralia
- total:
- 54,439 km (3859 km electrified)
- broad gauge:
- 5,434 km 1.600-m gauge
- standard gauge:
- 34,110 km 1.435-m gauge (1,397 km electrified)
- narrow gauge:
- 14,895 km 1.067-m gauge (2,462 km electrified)
- dual gauge:
- 213 km dual gauge (2004)
Fiji
- total:
- 597 km
- narrow gauge:
- 597 km 0.600-m gauge
note: belongs to the government-owned Fiji Sugar Corporation; used to haul sugarcane during harvest season (May to December) (2003)
South America
11 entriesArgentina
- total:
- 34,091 km (167 km electrified)
- broad gauge:
- 20,594 km 1.676-m gauge (141 km electrified)
- standard gauge:
- 2,885 km 1.435-m gauge (26 km electrified)
- narrow gauge:
- 10,375 km 1.000-m gauge; 237 km 0.750-m gauge (2004)
Brazil
- total:
- 29,412 km (1,567 km electrified)
- broad gauge:
- 4,907 km 1.600-m gauge (908 km electrified)
- standard gauge:
- 194 km 1.440-m gauge
- narrow gauge:
- 23,915 km 1.000-m gauge (581 km electrified)
- dual gauge:
- 396 km 1.000-m and 1.600-m gauges (three rails) (78 km electrified) (2004)
Chile
- total:
- 6,585 km
- broad gauge:
- 2,831 km 1.676-m gauge (1,317 km electrified)
- narrow gauge:
- 3,754 km 1.000-m gauge (2004)
Colombia
- total:
- 3,304 km
- standard gauge:
- 150 km 1.435-m gauge
- narrow gauge:
- 3,154 km 0.914-m gauge (2004)
Guyana
- total:
- 187 km
- standard gauge:
- 139 km 1.435-m gauge
- narrow gauge:
- 48 km 0.914-m gauge
note: all dedicated to ore transport (2001 est.)
Uruguay
- total:
- 2,073 km
- standard gauge:
- 2,073 km 1.435-m gauge
note: 461 km have been taken out of service and 460 km are in partial use (2004)
Southeast Asia
8 entriesIndonesia
- total:
- 6,458 km
- narrow gauge:
- 5,961 km 1.067-m gauge (125 km electrified); 497 km 0.750-m gauge (2004)
Malaysia
- total:
- 1,890 km (207 km electrified)
- standard gauge:
- 57 km 1.435-m gauge (57 km electrified)
- narrow gauge:
- 1,833 km 1.000-m gauge (150 km electrified) (2004)
Taiwan
- total:
- 2,497 km
- narrow gauge:
- 1,097 km 1.067-m gauge (685 km electrified)
note: 1,400 km .762-m gauge (belonging to the Taiwan Sugar Corporation and to the Taiwan Forestry Bureau used to haul products and limited numbers of passengers (2004)
Vietnam
- total:
- 2,600 km
- standard gauge:
- 178 km 1.435-m gauge
- narrow gauge:
- 2,169 km 1.000-m gauge
- dual gauge:
- 253 km three-rail track combining 1.435-m and 1.000-m gauges (2004)
Cite this page
Central Intelligence Agency. The World Factbook 2005, “Railways”, all entries. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/fields/railways/2005.