List of track gauges
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Named gauges
| Gauge | Name | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1676 | Indian gauge | |
| 1668 | Iberian gauge | |
| 1600 | Irish gauge | |
| 1588 | Pennsylvania Trolley Gauge | |
| 1581 | Pennsylvania Trolley Gauge | (variant) |
| 1524 | Russian gauge | |
| 1520 | Russian gauge | |
| 1435 | Standard gauge | |
| 1372 | Scotch gauge | |
| 1067 | CAP gauge or Cape gauge | |
| 1 | Metre gauge | |
| 950 | Italian metre gauge | |
| 891 | Swedish narrow gauge | 3 Swedish feet |
Common gauges
Broad gauge
Indian gauge - 1,676 mm / 5 ft 6 in
| Country/region | Notes |
|---|---|
| Afghanistan | |
| Argentina | Almost all lines America Latina Logistica,[1] (Railroad Development Corporation[2]) (former San Martín line), Sarmiento line, Nuevo Central Argentino (former Mitre line) and Ferrosur Roca (former Ferrocarril General Roca), except Urquiza and Belgrano |
| Bangladesh | Bangladesh Railway |
| Canada | Grand Trunk Railway, St. Lawrence and Atlantic Railroad and the Champlain and St. Lawrence Railroad until 1873, Specific names, Provincial gauge Grand Trunk Railway of Canada[3] Intercolonial Railway of Canada until 1875. See also Canada. |
| Chile | Empresa de los Ferrocarriles del Estado |
| India | Major routes of Indian Railways, Delhi Metro (some lines), Kolkata Metro; The other metro lines are 1435 standard gauge. |
| Kazakhstan | |
| Kyrgyzstan | |
| Pakistan | |
| Paraguay | The Ferrocarril Presidente Don Carlos Antonio Lopez from Asunción to Encarnación was originally laid in this gauge, in the hope that the connecting line from Posadas to Buenos Aires would be built to the same gauge; alas, this line was laid to standard gauge, and when the FCPCAL reached Encarnación in 1912 the whole line had to be re-gauged to standard gauge to allow through-working. |
| Russia | |
| Scotland | Two early (1830s) linked railways around Arbroath, (see Scotch gauge) |
| Sri Lanka | |
| United States | Maine Central Railroad until 1871; BART - Bay Area Rapid Transit - San Francisco Bay Area. |
| Tajikistan | |
| Turkmenistan | |
| Uzbekistan |
Iberian gauge - 1,668 mm/5 ft 52⁄3 in
| Country/region | Notes | |
|---|---|---|
| Portugal | REFER network. Adjusted from the original 1664 | also: 2140 mm, 1435 mm, 1000 mm, 900 mm, 600 mm |
| Spain | Adjusted from the original 1672 RENFE national railways (except High-Speed AVE). Barcelona Metro L1 Line. |
Irish gauge - 1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in)*
| Country/region | Notes |
|---|---|
| Australia | States of South Australia, Victoria (Victorian broad gauge), New South Wales (only a few routes connected to Victoria) and Tasmania, Australia (one line, Deloraine to Launceston, opened in 1871, was converted to 42 in 1888). |
| Brazil | Lines connecting the states of Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Minas Gerais; E.F.Carajás in Pará and Maranhão states, and Ferronorte in Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul states. |
| Germany | Grand Duchy of Baden State Railway 1840 - 1855[4] |
| Ireland | Irish broad gauge |
| New Zealand | Canterbury Provincial Railways (All routes gauge converted to 42 by 1876) |
Russian gauge (imperial) - 1,524 mm (5 ft)*
| Country/region | Notes |
|---|---|
| Afghanistan | also: 2140mm and 1676mm |
| China | prior 1930 |
| Finland | |
| Netherlands | Nederlandsche Rhijnspoorweg-Maatschappij Amsterdam - Utrecht - Arnhem line until 1855 |
| Sweden | Only a small freight yard in Haparanda. A new railway will be built between Pajala-Kolari around 2013. |
| USA | The South (except in Florida which used 4 ft 6 in (1,372 mm) Scotch gauge) - prior to and after the Civil War. |
| Panama | Panama Railway prior to conversion to standard gauge in 2000 to suit off-the-shelf supply. |
| Former Soviet Union | Prior to narrowing the gauge on the paper by 4 mm to 1520 and narrowing the tolerances; the railways and the rolling stock were adjusted only when needed or upgraded |
Russian gauge (metric) - 1,520 mm/4 ft 115⁄6 in
| Country/region | Notes |
|---|---|
| Armenia | |
| Azerbaijan | also: 1435mm |
| Belarus | |
| Bulgaria | Only at Varna ferry terminal for train ferries to Odessa and Poti; equipped with dual gauge tracks for changing waggon bogies with standard gauge ones, and parallel transloading tracks of 1520 and 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) gauges. |
| Estonia | |
| Georgia | also: 1435mm and 912mm |
| Germany | Only at Sassnitz/Mukran ferry terminal for freight train ferries to Turku, Klaipeda and Baltijsk. |
| Hong Kong | Peak Tram |
| Kazakhstan | also: 2140mm, 1676mm and 1435mm |
| Kyrgyzstan | also: 1676mm |
| Latvia | |
| Lithuania | |
| Moldova | |
| Mongolia | |
| Poland | Almost exclusively on one line, see Broad Gauge Metallurgy Line |
| Russia | |
| Slovakia | Only on one line ("Širokorozchodná trať" (Uzhhorod -)Maťovce - Haniska pri Košiciach) and from the border station of Dobrá pri Čiernej nad Tisou to Ukraine, both operated by ZSSK Cargo. In 2008, the 1,520 mm (4 ft 11+27⁄32 in) gauge was also proposed for a new rail line from the Ukrainian border to Bratislava[5], eventually as far to Vienna. |
| Tajikistan | also: 1676mm |
| Turkmenistan | also: 1676mm and 1435mm |
| Ukraine | |
| Uzbekistan | also: 2140mm and 1676mm |
Standard gauge - 1,435 mm / 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in
This is the Standard or international gauge
| Country/region | Companies | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Albania | Hekurudha Shqiptarë | |
| Algeria | Société Nationale des Transports Ferroviaires | |
| Argentina | Railroad Development Corporation[6] - Former Urquiza Line
|
Other lines are mostly 1676 broad gauge (Indian gauge) |
| Australia | Pacific National, Pilbara Railways | |
| Austria | Österreichische Bundesbahnen | |
| Azerbaijan | ||
| Belgium | NMBS/SNCB | |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Željeznice Federacije Bosne i Hercegovine, formed from former Yugoslav Railways | |
| Brazil | Estrada de Ferro do Amapá 1,440 mm (4 ft 8+11⁄16 in); Line 5; Uruguaiana - Border to Argentina (mixed gauge 1435 and 1000); Santana do Livramento - Border to Uruguay (mixed gauge 1,435 and 1,000 mm);
Remaining tracks at Jaguarão (Rio Grande do Sul) currently without operation |
Estrada de Ferro do Amapá, Jane's World Railways 1969/1970 edition gives 1435 |
| Bulgaria | National Railway Infrastructure Company (NRIC), Bulgarian State Railways (BDZ), Sofia Underground [7] , Part of Sofia Tramway system [8] |
|
| Canada | Canadian Pacific Railway, Canadian National Railways, VIA Rail, BC Rail; SkyTrain (Vancouver), West Coast Express (Vancouver), O-Train, GO Transit, Edmonton Light Rail Transit, C-Train, Scarborough RT (Toronto Transit Commission | |
| China | Rail transport in the People's Republic of China | |
| Croatia | Hrvatske Željeznice formed from former Yugoslav Railways | |
| Cuba | Ferrocarriles de Cuba | |
| Czech Republic | České dráhy | |
| Denmark | Danish State Railways | Adjusted from 1422 |
| Egypt | Egyptian National Railways | |
| England | Liverpool and Manchester Railway | Possibly the first railway built to standard gauge from the start. |
| Estonia | Eesti Raudtee | Re-gauging all existing system from 1520 and mounting some industrial railways during WWII; 1944-45 all railways re-gauged to 1520. |
| Finland | Finnish Rail Administration | Only at Turku ferry terminal for train ferries to Stockholm, and a freight yard in Tornio. |
| France | SNCF, RATP (on RER lines) | |
| Germany | Deutsche Bahn | |
| Georgia | ||
| Greece | Hellenic Railways Organisation | |
| Hong Kong | Rail transport in Hong Kong | including 1432 on the MTR |
| Hungary | MÁV, GySEV | |
| India | Only use for most of city rail systems: Delhi Metro (Phase 2), Mumbai Metro, Calcutta Tramway, etc. | Indian heavy rail systems (Indian Railways) use 1676 Indian broad gauge. |
| Iran | ||
| Iraq | ||
| Ireland | Railway Procurement Agency | Luas in Dublin |
| Israel | Israel Railways, CTS - operating the Jerusalem Light Rail | |
| Italy | ||
| Japan | Shinkansen, JR Hokkaido Naebo Works (see Train on Train), Keisei Line, Keikyu Line Tokyo Metro Ginza Line, Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line, Toei Asakusa Line, Kintetsu Corp (not including the Minami-Osaka Line (1,067 mm), etc.), Keihan Railway, Hankyu Railway, Hanshin Railway, Kyoto Municipal Subway, Osaka Municipal Subway[9]. | |
| Kazakhstan | ||
| Korea | ||
| Lebanon | all lines out of service and more or less dismantled | |
| Libya | network under construction | |
| Lithuania | Line to Šeštokai from Poland (mixed gauge between Mockava and Šeštokai) | |
| Macedonia | ||
| Malaysia | RapidKL (Kelana Jaya Line, Ampang Line), KLIA Ekspres | |
| Mexico[10] | ||
| Monaco | ||
| Montenegro | ||
| Morocco | ||
| Netherlands | Nederlandse Spoorwegen | |
| Norway | ||
| Panama | Panama Railway | since 2000 |
| Paraguay | Ferrocarril Presidente Don Carlos Antonio Lopez, now Ferrocarril de Paraguay S.A. (FEPASA) | Now working on 36 km out of Asuncion, as a tourist steam line; also on 5 km from Encarnacion to the border with the Argentine, carrying mainly exported soy; the rest of the 441 km of the line awaits its fate, while redevelopment plans come and go with regularity. The section from West of Encarnación to North of San Salvador and the complete San Salvador - Abaí branch have been dismantled by the railway itself to get funds through selling scrap. |
| Peru | Railroad Development Corporation[11] Ferrocarril Central Andino Callao - Lima - La Oroya - Huancayo, La Oroya - Cerro del Pasco ; Ferrocarril del sur de Peru operated by Peru Rail Matarani - Arequipa - Puno and Puno - Cuzco; Ilo - Moquegua mining railroad; Tacna - Arica (Chile) international line, operated by Tacna province; Electric suburban railway of Lima | |
| Philippines | Manila Light Rail Transit and Manila Metro Rail Transit. | |
| Poland | ||
| Portugal | Portuguese high-speed lines, Braga funicular and Lisbon Metro and Metro do Porto (partially an evolution from former metric system Póvoa and Guimarães lines. | |
| Romania | Căile Ferate Române | |
| Russia | Rostov-on-Don tramway, lines connecting Kaliningrad with Poland | |
| Serbia | Serbian Railways | |
| Singapore | MRT | |
| Slovakia | Železnice Slovenskej republiky | |
| Slovenia | Slovenske železnice | |
| South Africa | Gautrain in Gauteng Province | Rest of country uses Cape Gauge |
| Spain | AVE High-Speed Train lines from Madrid to Seville, Malaga, Saragossa, Barcelona (-Perthus), Toledo, Huesca and Valladolid, Gibraltar Tunnel (planned), Barcelona Metro L2, L3, L4, L5 lines. Barcelona FGC lines L6, L7, and Metro Vallès S1, S2, S5, S55. | All other 1668 (broad gauge) and some 1000 (meter gauge). |
| Sweden | Adjusted from 1,485 mm (4 ft 1017⁄36 in) | |
| Switzerland | ||
| Syria | ||
| Taiwan | Taipei Rapid Transit System, Taiwan High Speed Rail, and Kaohsiung Mass Rapid Transit | |
| Thailand | Bangkok Skytrain, Bangkok Metro and Suvarnabhumi Airport Link (under construction). | |
| Tunisia | Northern part of the network | |
| Turkey | TCDD (Türkiye Cumhuriyeti Devlet Demiryolları (Turkish State Railways) | |
| Turkmenistan | ||
| United Kingdom (Great Britain) | Liverpool and Manchester Railway (1830) | See also the Railway Regulation (Gauge) Act 1846 |
| United States | Central Pacific Railroad, Union Pacific Railroad | Although it was already in use on many other lines prior to 1863 the Pacific Railway Act of March 3, 1863 specified that the federally funded transcontinental railroad was to use standard gauge and helped to further popularize it among American railroads.[12] |
| Uruguay | ||
| Vietnam | north of Hanoi[13] |
Narrow gauge
Cape gauge - 1,067 mm/3 ft 6 in
| Country/region | Notes |
|---|---|
| Angola | Transport in Angola, Benguela railway |
| Australia | Queensland , Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania |
| Botswana | |
| Canada | western New Brunswick until 1880s, all of the Newfoundland Railway until abandonment in September 1988 and the Prince Edward Island Railway until 1930, standard gauge until abandonment in December 1989, see Narrow gauge railways in Canada |
| Republic of Congo | |
| Democratic Republic of Congo | |
| Costa Rica | Rail transport in Costa Rica |
| Ecuador | |
| Estonia | Tramway/ streetcar in Tallinn |
| Ghana | |
| Haiti | One of two track gauges known to be used in Haiti. |
| Honduras | |
| Hong Kong | Hong Kong Tramways |
| Indonesia | |
| Japan | Most common JR lines. First rail gauge used. |
| Malawi | |
| Mozambique | |
| Namibia | |
| New Zealand | New Zealand Railways Corporation - standardised at 1067mm by Julius Vogel in 1870 |
| Nicaragua | now lifted |
| Nigeria | |
| Norway | The 1,067 mm gauge was first used by C A Pihl on a line opened 1861. The nickname CAP-gauge is from his initials and not from the use of the gauge in the Cape Province in South Africa. Some lines built in the 19th century to 1067 were later rebuilt to normal gauge. The Setesdalsbanen, a heritage railway line of about eight km remains at 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in). |
| Philippines | Philippine National Railways |
| Russia | Sakhalin Island, tramway in Khabarovsk |
| South Africa | |
| Sudan | |
| Sweden | Several during the 19th century, now all closed. |
| Taiwan | Taiwan Railway Administration system |
| Tanzania | TAZARA only |
| USA | Former Los Angeles Railway, the former San Diego Electric Railway (until gauge conversion to standard gauge in 1898) and the San Francisco cable car system. Commonly used in underground coal mines.[14] |
| Zambia | |
| Zimbabwe | National Railways of Zimbabwe |
Metre gauge - 1,000 mm/3 ft 33⁄8 in
| Country/region | Notes |
|---|---|
| Argentina | Ferrocarril General Manuel Belgrano, now Belgrano Cargas, Tren de las Nubes |
| Bangladesh | |
| Benin | |
| Brazil | |
| Bolivia | All Railway Lines |
| Burkina Faso | |
| Burma | |
| Cambodia | |
| Cameroon | |
| Chile | Empresa de los Ferrocarriles del Estado, Ferrocarril de Antofagasta a Bolivia. |
| China | |
| Croatia | Tramways in Zagreb and Osijek |
| Denmark | A few local railways. None remains. Århus tramway (closed), Danish tramway museum. |
| Djibouti | Djibouti to Addis Abeba |
| Ethiopia | Addis Abeba - Djibouti line |
| Finland | Helsinki tram |
| France | Historically used in many local and regional railways, only a few of which remain today. Includes Saint-Gervais-Vallorcine Line and Villefranche-Vernet-les-Bains - La Tour-de-Carol and Salbris - Luçay-le-Mâle operated by SNCF. Chemins de fer de la Provence (Train des pignes); Chemins de fer de Corse; Chemin de Fer de La Mure. |
| Germany | Harzer Schmalspurbahnen, trams |
| Greece | mainly in the Peloponnese |
| India | Pachora-Jamner line |
| Italy | Trento-Malè-Mezzana, owned by Trentino Trasporti, Ferrovia Genova-Casella, Domodossola-Locarno international railway, Trieste-Opicina tramway, Rittnerbahn-ferrovia del Renon tramway, Laas-Lasa marble quay railway |
| Ivory Coast | |
| Iraq | |
| Kenya | |
| Laos | |
| Latvia | Liepāja tramway |
| Madagascar | |
| Malaysia | KTM line |
| Mali | |
| Norway | Thamshavnbanen (heritage railway) and the Trondheim Tramway (Gråkallbanen) |
| Pakistan | |
| Poland | City trams of: Łódź (including suburban lines), Bydgoszcz and Toruń (planned to be interconnected), Grudziądz, and Elbląg |
| Portugal | Several mountainous lines, partly abbandoned, connected to the REFER network; Oporto subway - 1435mm; trams of 90cm Oporto, Sintra 90cm, Braga 1435mm nothing left, Almada1435mm, and Coimbra. |
| Romania | Tram systems in Arad, Iaşi and Sibiu, also in Galaţi until fully replaced by standard gauge in 1975. |
| Russia | Kaliningrad and Pyatigorsk tramways |
| Senegal | |
| Serbia | Belgrade Tram, Šargan Eight |
| Singapore | KTM line to Malaysia |
| Slovakia | The gauge of Bratislava trams and also of a mountain railroad and a cogwheel railroad in the area of High Tatras. |
| Spain | FEVE lines in north-west Spain, including the Transcantábrico Barcelona Metro line 8 and FGC suburban lines S4, S8, R5 and R6 |
| Switzerland | Nearly all narrow-gauge railways: suburban railways, mountain railways, rack railways, some long-distance railways and trams. |
| Tanzania | except for TAZARA |
| Thailand | |
| Tunisia | |
| Turkey | Istanbul nostalgic trams |
| Uganda | |
| Ukraine | Lviv, Vinnytsia, Zhytomyr and Eupatoria tramways |
| Vietnam |
Uncommon or obsolete gauges
Broad gauge
| Gauge | Country/region | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metric mm |
Imperial | ||
| 3,000 | 9 ft 101⁄8 in | Germany / Russia | Hitler's Breitspurbahn (not ever built) |
| 2,140 | 7 ft 0¼in | Portugal (Azores) | Ponta Delgada harbour |
| South Africa | East London and Table Bay harbour railways | ||
| United Kingdom | Brunel's Great Western Railway until converted to standard gauge by May 1892, see Great Western Railway The "gauge war". Also harbour railways at the Isle of Portland (England), Holyhead (Wales), and Port Erin (Isle of Man). | ||
| Kazakhstan | |||
| Uzbekistan | |||
| Afghanistan | |||
| 2,000 | 6 ft 6¾ in | United Kingdom (Scotland) | Cairngorm Mountain Railway - Funicular |
| 1,980 | 6 ft 519⁄20 in | Israel | Haifa, Carmelit subway railway line - Funicular |
| 1,945 | 6 ft 423⁄40 in | Netherlands till 1866 |
1839–1866[15] Hollandsche IJzeren Spoorweg-Maatschappij |
| Russia | originally in Vladivostok - Khabarovsk line | ||
| 1,880 | 6 ft 2 in | Ireland | Ulster Railway, 1839–1846, re-gauged to 1,600 mm / 5 ft 3 in |
| 1,829 | 6 ft 0 in | United States / Canada | Erie Railroad until June 22, 1880 |
| Russia | Saint Petersburg – Tsarskoe Selo Railway, 1837–1897 | ||
| India | In 19th century, engineers regarded this gauge, but laid 1676. | ||
| 1,800 | 5 ft 10⅞ in | Germany | Oberweißbacher Bergbahn (funicular section only)[4] |
| 1,750[16] | 5 ft 89⁄10 in | France | Line from Paris to Limours via Saint-Rémy-lès-Chevreuse (Ligne de Sceaux), until 1891 |
| 1,674 | 5 ft 55⁄6 in (six Castilian feet) | Spain | Original gauge Barcelona Metro L1 |
| 1,664 | 5 ft 5½ in (five Portuguese feet) | Portugal | Original gauge |
| 1,638 | 5 ft 4½ in | United States | Baltimore, Baltimore Streetcar System (defunct) [15] |
| 1,588 | 5 ft 2½in | United States | Pennsylvania Trolley gauge, see Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority subway cars, Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority streetcars and New Orleans streetcars, Cincinnati[15][17] |
| 1,581 | 5 ft 2¼in | United States | Philadelphia streetcars |
| 1,575 | 5 ft 2 in | Ireland | Dublin and Drogheda Railway, 1844–1846, re-gauged to 1,600 mm / 5 ft 3 in |
| 1,537 | 5 ft 0½ in | United Kingdom | London and Blackwall Railway |
| 1,511 | 4 ft 11½ in | Ukraine | Kiev tramways - gradually changed to 1,524 mm (5 ft) in 1920s. |
| 1,495 | 4 ft 10⅞ in | Canada | Toronto Transit Commission subway and streetcars - excluding Transit City LRT). See Toronto subway gauge, Toronto streetcar gauge and Toronto radial lines. |
| 1,473 | 4 ft 10 in | USA | The Midwest - until after the Civil War (Ohio gauge) |
| 1,458 | 4 ft 92⁄5 in | Germany | Leipziger Verkehrsbetriebe AG |
| 1,450 | 4 ft 91⁄5 in | Germany | Dresdner Verkehrsbetriebe AG |
| 1,448 | 4 ft 9 in | England | Manchester and Leeds Railway |
| 1,445 | 4 ft 8⅞ in | Brazil | Estrada de Ferro do Amapá, Jane's World Railways 1969/1970 edition gives 1435, Line 5, São Paulo metro |
| Italy | Tramway networks in Milan, Turin and Rome, and until 1930 the railway network. | ||
| Spain | Madrid Metro | ||
Medium gauge
Narrow gauge railway with a gauge above 1,000 mm and below Standard Gauge. Although technically narrow gauge these railways are often built to substantial standards, allowing high train speeds and capacity.
| Gauge | Country/region | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metric mm |
Imperial | ||
| 1,422 | 4 ft 8 in | USA | Mount Washington Cog Railway |
| England | prior to 1846 (proto standard gauge) | ||
| Denmark | Original gauge | ||
| 1.397 | 4 ft 7 in | Wales | Dyffryn Llynfi and Porthcawl Railway |
| 1,416 | 4 ft 7¾ in | Scotland/England | List of Tramways in Scotland/ England (Huddersfield Tramway) |
| 1,384 | 4 ft 6½ in | various railways in Scotland (prior to 1840) | |
| 1,372 | 4 ft 6 in | Japan | Keiō Line, Toei Shinjuku Line, Toden Arakawa Line, Tokyu Setagaya Line, Hakodate tramway |
| Scotland | various railways in Scotland (prior to 1840) | ||
| Spain | Former Spanish colonial gauge | ||
| United States | originally in Florida (further south than Jacksonville) | ||
| 1,245 | 4 ft 1 in | England | Middleton Railway (standard gauge after 1881) |
| 1,219 | 4 ft 0 in | Wales | Padarn Railway (1842–1961), Saundersfoot Railway (1829–1939) |
| Scotland | Glasgow Subway, Falkirk (1905–1936) | ||
| England | Furzebrook Railway (c.1830–1957), Redruth and Chasewater Railway (1826–1915) | ||
| New Zealand | Wellington tramway system: electric trams, system closed 1964. | ||
| 1,217 | 3 ft 11⅞ in | Sweden | |
| 1,200 | 3 ft 11¼ in | Switzerland | Bergbahn Rheineck-Walzenhausen (formerly a funicular converted to a cog Railway. Only one EMU-1) |
| 1,188 | 3 ft 10¾ in | Sweden | |
| 1,106 | 3 ft 7½ in | Austria | From Gmunden in the Salzkammergut to Budweis, now in the Czech Republic. |
| 1,100 | 3 ft 7⅓in | Brazil | The Santa Teresa Historic Tramway in Rio de Janeiro |
| Italy | SVIE network near Varese | ||
| 1,093 | 3 ft 7 in | Sweden | The Köping-Uttersberg-Riddarhyttan Railway, 1864-1968. The gauge was by mistake |
| 1055 | 3 ft 5½in | Algeria | |
| 1,050 | 3 ft 51⁄3 in | Jordan | Hejaz railway |
| Syria | |||
| Lebanon & Syria | former Beyrouth - Damascus Railway, mostly dismantled in Lebanon | ||
| Israel & Saudi Arabia | dismantled parts of former Hejaz railway | ||
| 1,009 | 3 ft 311⁄16 in | Bulgaria | Most of tramway system in Sofia, except for two lines with standard gauge. Initially it was built as 1000. When the condition of tracks vastly deteriorated during WW2, it was formally widened to 1,013 mm in order to avoid loss of the licence. Then it gradually narrowed to 1,009 mm with a tendency to be reverted back to 1,000 mm. All these changes affected only the infrastructure and not the rolling stock. |
Narrow gauge
Narrow gauge railways with a gauge above 22.75 and below 1,000 mm.
| Gauge | Country/region | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metric mm |
Imperial | ||
| 950 "Italian metre gauge" | 3 ft 12⁄5 in | Italy | One of the gauges formerly permitted by law. Some regional railways. |
| Eritrea | |||
| Somalia | Former line Mogadishu to Villaggio | ||
| 914 | 3 ft 0 in | Australia | Powelltown Tramway, Private timber tramways[18]. |
| Canada | White Pass and Yukon Route, Narrow gauge Canada | ||
| Colombia | Colombian Railways; also: 1435 and 1067 | ||
| El Salvador | |||
| Guatemala | Rail transport in Guatemala Ferrovías Guatemala[19] | ||
| Ireland | County Donegal Railways Joint Committee (Closed - Part preserved),
Londonderry & Lough Swilly Railway (Closed), Cavan & Leitrim Railway (Closed - part preserved), West Clare Railway (Closed - part preserved), Ballycastle Railway (Closed), Giant's Causeway Tramway (Closed - part preserved), Ballymena & Larne Railway (Closed), Bord Na Mona - extensive industrial railway network. | ||
| Isle of Man | Manx Electric Railway and Isle of Man Railway | ||
| Peru | Huancayo - Huancavelica,[20] being converted to standard gauge, see Railroad Development Corporation, Cusco - Machu Picchu, Cusco - Machu Picchu[21] and Ferrocarril Central Andino | ||
| Spain | Palma-Soller-Puerto de Soller line (Balearic Islands) | ||
| USA | In Colorado: Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad, Georgetown Loop, Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad and the Uintah Railway extending into Utah; in California the Disneyland Railroad, the North Pacific Coast Railroad, the South Pacific Coast Railroad, the Ghost Town & Calico Railway, the Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad, the Roaring Camp and Big Trees Narrow Gauge Railroad, the West Side Lumber Company railway and the Carson and Colorado Railroad extending into Nevada; in Florida the Walt Disney World Railroad; in New York the Catskill Mountain Railway, the Catskill and Tannersville Railway; and the Otis Elevating Railway; in Oregon the Sumpter Valley Railroad. | ||
| 912 | 2 ft 11⅞ in | Georgia | The 37 km Borjomi - Bakuriani line |
| 900 | 2 ft 117⁄16 in | Austria | Linz tramways |
| Estonia | Vaivara-Viivikonna mine railway; re-gauged to standard gauge during WWII; after the war re-gauged to 1520. | ||
| Germany | Mecklenburgische Bäderbahn | ||
| Georgia (Abkhazia) | New Athos Cave Railway | ||
| Indonesia | Used by Rendeng sugar mill for sugar cane transport to the mill | ||
| Norway | This gauge was used by the Germans up to 1945. It was called Feldbahn (field railway) and was used for industrial plants or other temporary uses. In Norway,during the WW2, the Germans built a 15 km long railway between the harbour at Aardalstangen and the industrial plant of Upper Aardal. It was closed down in 1959 and was at that time only used at the iron works. One steam locomotive was lost into the sea, but was refound by divers around 1990. It is now restored and exhibited at Aardalstangen. | ||
| Poland | Cracow tramways (re-gauged to standard gauge in 1953) | ||
| Portugal | Lisbon tramways | ||
| 891 | 2 ft 111⁄10 in (3 Swedish feet) | Sweden | Many 891 mm (2 ft 11+3⁄32 in) lines were built during 19th and early 20th century by private companies. The state railroad company SJ always used 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) gauge during construction of its own railway lines. SJ later bought most of Sweden’s private railroad companies. Some have been converted to 1,435 mm. Of all 891 mm lines that existed, now only the Roslagsbanan (a commuter line going north-east from Stockholm) uses this gauge, and a number of museum railways. |
| 850 | Italy | Ponte Tresa-Luino (1924: converted to 1,100 mm (3 ft 7+5⁄16 in) gauge, 1950: closed) Menaggio-Porlezza (1939: closed) | |
| 825 | 2 ft 8½ in | United Kingdom | Volk's Electric Railway |
| 802 | Sweden | Far behind 891 mm, this was one of the most frequently used narrow gauges in Sweden. The Hällefors-Fredriksberg Railways (1874-1970) in Värmland is one example of where this gauge was used. However, the railways of this gauge never formed much of a network anywhere. None of them remain today. | |
| 800 | 2 ft 7½ in | Switzerland | Numerous rack and mountain railways |
| Wales | Snowdon Mountain Railway | ||
| 785 | 2 ft 69⁄10 in | Poland | |
| 762 | 2 ft 6 in | Australia | Victorian narrow gauge lines including Puffing Billy tourist railway east of Melbourne. |
| Brazil | Estrada de Ferro Oeste de Minas in Minas Gerais state, now operating only a small section between São João del Rey and Tiradentes). | ||
| Chile | Ferrocarril de Antofagasta a Bolivia (now 1 ) | ||
| Estonia | Industrial raiway in Tamsalu lime factory; during WWI re-gauged to 750 mm (2 ft 5+1⁄2 in) and used as a part of Paide-Tamsalu raiway; now dismounted. | ||
| Haiti | One of two track gauges known to be used in Haiti | ||
| India | Kalka-Shimla Railway, Kangra valey railway | ||
| Japan | Abō Forest Train (industrial railway),[22] Kintetsu Utsube Line, Kintetsu Hachiōji Line, Kurobe Gorge Railway, Kurobe Senyō Railway (industrial railway), Sangi Railway Hokusei Line | ||
| Sierra Leone | |||
| Sri Lanka | The Kelani Valley Railway line (now converted to broad gauge) | ||
| Taiwan | Alishan Forest Railway | ||
| USA | Omaha Zoo Railroad, Washington Park and Zoo Railway (Portland, Oregon), various logging railways in California[23] | ||
| United Kingdom | Alford and Sutton Tramway, Leek and Manifold Valley Light Railway, Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway, Almond Valley Light Railway, Sittingbourne & Kemsley Light Railway, Great Whipsnade Railway | ||
| 760 | 2 ft 59⁄10 in | Austria[17]* | Bahnstrecke Tschagguns–Partenen, Bregenzerwaldbahn, Waldbahn Deutschlandsberg, Feistritztalbahn, Gurktalbahn, Höllentalbahn (Niederösterreich), Klammbachwaldbahn, Lokalbahn Ober-Grafendorf–Gresten, Mariazellerbahn, Lokalbahn Mixnitz–Sankt Erhard, Murtalbahn, Pinzgauer Lokalbahn, Salzkammergut-Lokalbahn, Stainzerbahn , Steyrtalbahn, Straßenbahn Ybbs, Taurachbahn, Thörlerbahn, Vellachtalbahn, Waldbahn Reichraming, Waldviertler Schmalspurbahnen, Ybbstalbahn, Zillertalbahn |
| Bulgaria | Few railways, of which only Septemvri - Dobrinishte (125.3 km) remains in operation | ||
| Haiti | Most sources claims, besides the wider gauge of 1067, the narrower of two gauges being used was 762, but few others (CIA) use 760 on their documents. See also Railroads of Haiti. | ||
| Hungary | |||
| Italy | Fleimstalbahn, Grödnerbahn, Lokalbahn Mori–Arco–Riva | ||
| Romania | A few railways of this gauge; some renovated for the tourist industry: see Mocăniţă. | ||
| Slovakia | Čierny Hron River Railway; Several other logging railroads | ||
| 750 | 2 ft 5½ in | Argentina | 48 mi (77.2 km) only of the Ferrocarril General Manuel Belgrano[24] (now probably 1 ?); La Trochita |
| Ecuador[24] | |||
| Estonia | |||
| Greece | Rack railway between Diakopto - Kalavryta at northern Peloponnesos | ||
| Germany | Lößnitzgrundbahn; Weißeritztalbahn; Döllnitzbahn GmbH; Zittauer Schmalspurbahn | ||
| Indonesia | Used by 6 sugar mill in Java (Bandjaratma, Ceper, Colomadu, Tasikmadu, Pakis Baru and Trangkil). Now only Tasikmadu in use. | ||
| Latvia | |||
| Lithuania | |||
| Norway | Only 1 heritage railway left (Aurskog-Hølandsbanen) | ||
| Poland | |||
| Russia | |||
| Switzerland | |||
| 724 | 2 ft 4½ in | Wales | Glyn Valley Tramway |
| 711 | 2 ft 4 in | England | Snailbeach District Railways |
| 700 | 2 ft 3½ in | Denmark | Standard gauge for sugar beet railways; none remain. |
| Indonesia | Used by 36 sugar mill in Java. Now only 23 in use. | ||
| 686 | 2 ft 3 in | Wales | Talyllyn Railway, Corris Railway, Plynlimon and Hafan Tramway |
| Scotland | Campbeltown and Machrihanish Light Railway | ||
| 610 | 2 ft 0 in | Australia | Queensland: extensive network of sugar cane tramways |
| India | Darjeeling Himalayan Railway | ||
| Japan | Tateyama Sabō Erosion Control Works Service Train (industrial railway) | ||
| Mexico | Córdoba and Huatusco Railroad; Cazadero and San Pablo Railroad; Ferrocarril de Hornos | ||
| South Africa | Port Elizabeth to Avontuur (284 km) and Port Shepstone to Harding (122 km) | ||
| United Kingdom | Many lines | ||
| USA | Billerica and Bedford Railroad and Edaville Railroad of Massachusetts; 6 Maine railroads: Sandy River and Rangeley Lakes Railroad, Bridgton and Saco River Railroad, Monson Railroad, Kennebec Central Railroad, Wiscasset, Waterville and Farmington Railway, S. D. Warren Paper Mill; the Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad Museum and Boothbay Harbor, Maine support twenty four-inch narrow gauge railroad museums; Mount Gretna Narrow Gauge Railway of Pennsylvania; Gilpin tramway of Colorado; Cripple Creek and Victor Railroad of Colorado; Silver City, Pinos Altos and Mogollon Railroad of New Mexico; "C.P. Huntingdon" commercially manufactured 24 park train rides exist in Roswell, New Mexico and Tucson, Arizona | ||
| 603 | 1 ft 11¾in | Wales | Vale of Rheidol Railway |
| 600 "Decauville gauge" |
1 ft 11⅝in | Argentina | Rainforest Ecological Train (New system) |
| Brazil | Estrada de Ferro Perus-Pirapora (Closed - part preserved) | ||
| Estonia | |||
| England | Lynton and Barnstaple Railway | ||
| France | Corsica, Chemins de Fer du Calvados, World War I trench railways | ||
| Germany | Park Railway Chemnitz[25] | ||
| Greece | Mt. Pelion Railway | ||
| Hungary | Almamellék State Forest Railway, Kemence Forest Museum Railway | ||
| Indonesia | Used by 8 sugar mill in Java (Jatiwangi, Jatibarang, Pangka, Sragi, Cepiring, Soedhono, Tulangan and Pandji). Now only 6 in use. | ||
| Latvia | |||
| Mexico | Ferrocarril de Tacubaya | ||
| Namibia | Otavi Mining and Railway Company | ||
| Poland | Żnińska Kolej Powiatowa - a narrow gauge railway running from Żnin via Wenecja, Biskupin to Gąsawa | ||
| Portugal | Beach railways in Caparica (Almada) and Barril (Tavira) | ||
| Sweden | once several, a few remaining as museum railways (Munkedal, Mariefred-Läggesta) | ||
| Wales | Ffestiniog Railway, Welsh Highland Railway | ||
Minimum gauge
| Gauge | Country | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metric mm |
Imperial | ||
| 578 | 1 ft 10¾ in | Wales | Penrhyn Quarry Railway |
| 558 | 1 ft 10 in | Dominican Republic | Transport in the Dominican Republic |
| 500 "Decauville gauge" |
1 ft 7¾ in | Argentina | Tren del Fin del Mundo, Ushuaia - Parque Nacional Tierra del Fuego |
| France | Several Decauville railways | ||
| United Kingdom | |||
| 482 | 1 ft 7 in | Isle of Man | Great Laxey Mine Railway |
| 457 | 18 in | United Kingdom | Sand Hutton Light Railway, Steeple Grange Light Railway, Crewe Works Railway, Royal Arsenal Railway |
| USA | Billy Jones Wildcat Railroad, Los Gatos, CA | ||
| 381 | 15 in | United Kingdom | Duffield Bank Railway, Eaton Hall Railway, Perrygrove Railway, Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway, Bure Valley Railway, Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway |
| USA | Redwood Valley Railway, Tilden Park, Berkeley, CA | ||
| Germany | Dresden Park Railway | ||
See also
- Rail gauge
- Rail gauge in Europe
- Rail gauge in South America
- Loading gauge
- Structure gauge
- Rail transport
- Rail terminology
- Rail transport by country
- Transport in present-day nations and states
- List of railway companies by country
- History of rail transport by country
- Railroad switch (points)
- British narrow gauge railways
- Ridable miniature railway
References
- ^ "ALL - América Latina Logistica" (in Spanish). Retrieved 2007-11-29.
- ^ "ALL Central". Railroad Development Corporation. 2007. Retrieved 2007-11-29.
- ^ "Canada's Digital Collections archived at Library and Archives Canada". Government of Canada. Retrieved 2007-11-29.
- ^ a b Rieger, Bernhard (2006-04-23). "Breitspurbahn". Retrieved 2007-11-29.
- ^ "Slovaks eye 4.3 bln euro railway for Russian goods" (Reuters, Thursday April 3, 2008)
- ^ "ALL Mesopotamica". Railroad Development Corporation. 2007. Retrieved 2007-11-29.
- ^ Sofia Underground
- ^ Sofia Tramway system
- ^ "標準軌". ja.wikipedia (in Japanese). 2007-10-19. Retrieved 2007-11-29.
- ^ "Mexlist". 2007. Retrieved 2007-11-29.
- ^ "Ferrocarril Central Andino". Railroad Development Corporation. 2007. Retrieved 2007-11-29.
- ^ "Pacific Railroad Act - Transcontiental Railroad and Land Grants". Retrieved 2008-12-25.
- ^ "Railway Infrastructure". Vietnam Railways. 2005. Retrieved 2007-11-29.
- ^ H. H. Stoek, J. R. Fleming, A. J. Hoskin, A Study of Coal Mine Haulage in Illinois, Engineering Experiment Station Bulletin No. 132, University of Illinois, July 1922, pages 102-103.
- ^ a b c "Railroad Gauge Width". Паровоз ИС. Российский железнодорожный портал. Retrieved 2007-11-29.
- ^ "Écartement des rails". fr.wikipedia (in French). 2007-11-13. Retrieved 2007-11-29.
- ^ a b "Lijst van spoorwijdten". nl.wikipedia. 2007-11-25. Retrieved 2007-11-29.
- ^ M. A. McCarthy. (1998) "Gembrook - the Railway and Town". Retrieved on 2008-11-06
- ^ "Ferrovías Guatemala". Railroad Development Corporation. 2007. Retrieved 2007-11-29.
- ^ "Map of Peru". Railroad Development Corporation. Retrieved 2007-11-29.
- ^ "RUTA CUSCO - MACHU PICCHU". Perurail. Retrieved 2007-11-29.
- ^ "安房森林軌道". ja.wikipedia (in Japanese). 2007-10-10. Retrieved 2007-11-29.
- ^ Elg, Lennart (2003-04-01). "30" Gauge Logging". Retrieved 2007-11-29.
- ^ a b Jane's World Railways. 1969–1970.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date format (link) - ^ "Parkeisenbahnen in Deutschland, Österreich und der Schweiz". Retrieved 2009-08-23.
