Editing Track gauge (section)

== Dominant railway gauges ==
{{Further|List of track gauges}}
{{See also|List of tram systems by gauge and electrification|Rapid transit track gauge|}}

More than half of the world's railways are built to {{Track gauge|1435 mm|allk=on}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://transportgeography.org/wp-content/uploads/Map_Rail_Gauge.pdf |title=Major Gauges of the Global Rail Systems, in The Geography of Transportation Systems, 6th ed.|author=Jean-Paul Rodrigue|date=2024|access-date=January 16, 2025}}</ref> New railways have been built in Africa to standard gauge. Most of the narrow-gauge railways in India are being converted to the dominant, broad-gauge.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.livehistoryindia.com/story/eras/indian-railways | title=Indian Railways: Battle of the Gauges | date=22 April 2021 }}</ref>

{|class="wikitable sortable"
! colspan=2 | System
! colspan=4 | Installation
|-
! Gauge
! Name
! in km
! in miles
! % world
! by location
|-
|{{Track gauge|1000mm}}
| [[Metre-gauge railway]]
|{{convert|71000|km|mi|disp=table}}
|6.4%
| [[Rail transport in Argentina|Argentina]] ({{convert|11000|km|mi|abbr=on|disp=or}}), [[Rail transport in Brazil|Brazil]] ({{convert|23489|km|mi|abbr=on|disp=or}}), [[Rail transport in Bolivia|Bolivia]], northern [[Rail transport in Chile|Chile]], [[:Category:Railway lines in Greece|Greece]] ([[:Category:Metre-gauge railways in Greece|in the disused Peloponnese network]]), [[Rail transport in Spain|Spain]] ([[Renfe Feve|Feve]], [[Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya|FGC]], [[Euskotren Trena|Euskotren]], [[Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat Valenciana|FGV]], [[Serveis Ferroviaris de Mallorca|SFM]]), [[Rail transport in Switzerland|Switzerland]] ([[Rhaetian Railway|RhB]], [[Montreux–Oberland Bernois railway|MOB]], [[Bernese Oberland railway|BOB]], [[Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn|MGB]]), [[Rail transport in Malaysia|Malaysia]], [[Rail transport in Thailand|Thailand]], [[Rail transport in Cambodia|Cambodia]], [[Bangladesh]], [[East Africa]], [[Rail transport in Vietnam|Vietnam]] and [[Rail transport in Denmark|Denmark]]
|-
|{{Track gauge|1067mm}}
| [[3 ft 6 in gauge railways]]
|{{convert|96000|km|mi|disp=table}}
|8.6%
| Southern and Central Africa; [[Rail transport in Nigeria|Nigeria]] (most); [[Rail transport in Indonesia|Indonesia]] (Java and Sumatera); [[Rail transport in Japan|Japan]]; [[Rail transport in Taiwan|Taiwan]]; [[Rail transportation in the Philippines|Philippines]]; [[Rail transport in New Zealand|New Zealand]]; and the Australian states of [[Rail transport in Queensland|Queensland]], [[Rail transport in Western Australia|Western Australia]], [[Rail transport in Tasmania|Tasmania]] and [[Rail transport in South Australia|South Australia.]]
|-
|{{Track gauge|1435mm}}
| {{nowrap|[[Standard-gauge railway]]}}
|{{convert|678000|km|mi|disp=table}}
|60.6%
| [[Rail transport in Albania|Albania]], [[Rail transport in Argentina|Argentina]], [[Rail transport in Australia|Australia]], [[Rail transport in Austria|Austria]], [[Rail transport in Belgium|Belgium]], [[Rail transport in Bosnia and Herzegovina|Bosnia and Herzegovina]], [[Rail transport in Brazil|Brazil]] ({{convert|194|km|mi|abbr=on|disp=or}}), [[Rail transport in Bulgaria|Bulgaria]], [[Rail transport in Canada|Canada]], [[Rail transport in the People's Republic of China|China]], [[Rail transport in Croatia|Croatia]], [[Rail transport in Cuba|Cuba]], [[Rail transport in the Czech Republic|Czech Republic]], [[Rail transport in Denmark|Denmark]], [[Rail transport in Djibouti|Djibouti]], [[Rail transport in the Democratic Republic of the Congo|DR Congo]] (Kamina-Lubumbashi section, planned), [[Rail transport in Ethiopia|Ethiopia]], [[Rail transport in France|France]], [[Rail transport in Germany|Germany]], [[Rail transport in Great Britain|Great Britain]] (United Kingdom), [[Rail transport in Greece|Greece]], [[Rail transport in Hong Kong|Hong Kong]], [[Rail transport in Hungary|Hungary]], [[Rail transport in India|India]] (only used in [[Urban rail transit in India#Rapid transit|rapid transit]] and [[High-speed rail in India|High-speed rail]]), [[Rail transport in Indonesia|Indonesia]] ([[Cut Meutia (train)|Aceh rail]], [[Bali MRT]] (under construction), [[LRT Jabodetabek]], [[LRT Jakarta]], [[MRT Jakarta East - West Line Corridor]], [[High-speed rail in Indonesia]], and [[Sulawesi]]), [[Rail transport in Italy|Italy]], [[Rail transport in Israel|Israel]], [[Rail transport in Kenya|Kenya]] ([[Mombasa–Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway]]), [[Rail transport in Laos|Laos]], [[Rail transport in Liechtenstein|Liechtenstein]], [[Rail transport in Lithuania|Lithuania]] ([[Rail Baltica]]), [[Rail transport in Luxembourg|Luxembourg]], [[Rail transport in Macedonia|Macedonia]], [[Rail transport in Mauritius|Mauritius]] ([[Metro Express (Mauritius)|Metro Express]]), [[Rail transport in Mexico|Mexico]], [[Rail transport in Montenegro|Montenegro]], [[Rail transport in the Netherlands|Netherlands]], [[Rail transport in North Korea|North Korea]], [[Rail transport in Norway|Norway]], [[Rail transport in Panama|Panama]], [[Rail transport in Peru|Peru]], [[Rail transportation in the Philippines|Philippines]], [[Rail transport in Poland|Poland]], [[Rail transport in Romania|Romania]], [[Rail transport in Serbia|Serbia]], [[Singapore MRT]], [[Rail transport in Slovakia|Slovakia]], [[Rail transport in Slovenia|Slovenia]], [[Rail transport in South Korea|South Korea]], [[Rail transport in Spain|Spain]] ([[AVE]], [[Alvia]] and [[Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya|FGC]]), [[Rail transport in Sweden|Sweden]], [[Rail transport in Switzerland|Switzerland]],  [[Rail transport in Turkey|Turkey]], [[Rail transport in the United States|United States]], [[Rail transport in Uruguay|Uruguay]], [[Rail transport in Venezuela|Venezuela]], north [[Rail transport in Vietnam|Vietnam]]. Also private companies' lines and JR high-speed lines in [[Rail transport in Japan|Japan]]. High-speed lines in [[Rail transport in Taiwan|Taiwan]]. [[Gautrain]] commuter system in South Africa. New lines in [[Tanzania]] and [[Nigeria]].
|-
|{{Track gauge|1520mm}}
| rowspan="2" |[[5 ft and 1520 mm gauge railways]]
|{{convert|155000|km|mi|disp=table}}
|13.8%
| [[Rail transport in Armenia|Armenia]], [[Rail transport in Azerbaijan|Azerbaijan]], [[Rail transport in Belarus|Belarus]], [[Rail transport in Georgia (country)|Georgia]], [[Rail transport in Kazakhstan|Kazakhstan]], [[Rail transport in Kyrgyzstan|Kyrgyzstan]], [[Rail transport in Latvia|Latvia]], [[Rail transport in Lithuania|Lithuania]], [[Rail transport in Moldova|Moldova]], [[Rail transport in Mongolia|Mongolia]], [[Rail transport in Russia|Russia]], [[Rail transport in Tajikistan|Tajikistan]], [[Railways in Turkmenistan|Turkmenistan]], [[Rail transport in Ukraine|Ukraine]], [[Rail transport in Uzbekistan|Uzbekistan]]. <br />''(all contiguous – redefined from {{Track gauge|1524mm}})''
|-
|{{Track gauge|1524mm}}
|{{convert|7065|km|mi|disp=table}}
|
|[[Rail transport in Estonia|Estonia]],<ref>[http://www.rrdc.com/article_05_2003_evr_todays_rwys.pdf Estonian railways today] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303171940/http://www.rrdc.com/article_05_2003_evr_todays_rwys.pdf |date=March 3, 2016 }}, p. 32</ref> [[Rail transport in Finland|Finland]]<br />''(contiguous, and generally compatible, except high speed trains, with {{Track gauge|1520mm}}''
|-
|{{Track gauge|1600mm}}
| [[5 ft 3 in gauge railways]]
|{{convert|9800|km|mi|disp=table}}
|
| [[Rail transport in the Republic of Ireland|Ireland]], [[Rail transport in Northern Ireland|Northern Ireland]] (United Kingdom) ({{convert|1800|km|mi|abbr=on|disp=or}}), and in the Australian states of [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]] and [[South Australia]] ({{convert|4017|km|mi|abbr=on|disp=or}}), [[track gauge in Brazil|Brazil]] ({{convert|4057|km|mi|abbr=on|disp=or}}){{When|date=September 2022}}
|-
|{{Track gauge|1668mm}}
| [[Iberian-gauge railways]]
|{{convert|16700|km|mi|disp=table}}
|1.5%
| [[Rail transport in Portugal|Portugal]], [[Rail transport in Spain|Spain]]. Sometimes referred to as ''Iberian gauge''. In Spain the Administrador de Infraestructuras Ferroviarias (ADIF) managed {{convert|11683|km|abbr=on}} of this gauge and {{convert|22|km|abbr=on}} of mixed gauge at end of 2010.<ref name = richter>Karl Arne Richter (editor), ''Europäische Bahnen '11'', Eurailpress, Hamburg, 2010, {{ISBN|978-3-7771-0413-3}}</ref> The Portuguese Rede Ferroviária Nacional (REFER) managed {{convert|2650|km|abbr=on}} of this gauge of this track at the same date.<ref name = richter/>
|-
|{{Track gauge|1676mm}}
| [[5 ft 6 in gauge railways]]
|{{convert|100000|km|mi|disp=table}}
|9.0%
| [[Rail transport in India|India]], [[Rail transport in Pakistan|Pakistan]], [[Rail transport in Bangladesh|Bangladesh]], [[Rail transport in Sri Lanka|Sri Lanka]], [[Rail transport in Argentina|Argentina]], [[Rail transport in Chile|Chile]], [[Bay Area Rapid Transit|BART]] in the United States [[San Francisco Bay Area]]
|-
|}

=== Prevalence ===
Total for each group of gauges in 2020:{{citation needed|date=September 2020}}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:right"
! scope="col" | Gauge
! scope="col" | Installation (km)
! scope="col" class="unsortable" | Installation (mi)
! scope="col" | Percentage (2020)
! scope="col" | Percentage (2014)
|-
|Narrow gauge(s)
|{{convert|233391|km|mi|disp=table}} <!-- 2014 207,000 -->
|17.5%
|15.8%
|-
|Standard gauge
| {{convert|807616|km|mi|disp=table}} <!-- 2014 720,000 -->
|60.6%
|54.9%
|-
|Broad gauge(s)
|{{convert|290705|km|mi|disp=table}} <!-- 2014 385,067-->
|21.8%
|29.3%
|- class="sortbottom" 
|Totals
|{{convert|1331712|km|mi|disp=table}} 
|100%
|100%
|}