Steve Sattler's review of World railway track Kilometers

[beaulieu]

Mr. Sattler missed a few countries with High-quality, High-speed lines. Spain and Italy both have significant networks of such lines. Belgium and the Netherlands each have one such line.

[greyhounds]

If taken at face value Sattler's kilometers indicate something very significant.

The "Big Four" are China, India, Russia and the United States.  The combined kilometers for China, India and Russia total 228,370.  The US alone has 226,427. So we've got just about as much as the next three largest rail kilometer countries combined.

Our freight rail network is much more extensive than those other countries.  It is also much more efficient than those other countries.  Our freight rail net is nowhere near perfect.  But then, nothing is perfect.  We have the most extensive and efficient freight rail service in the world.  People should keep that in mind.

 

[schlimm]

 According to the China Statistical Yearbook,  as of 2015,  China has 121,000 km (75,186 mi)^[ of railways, the second longest network in the world, including 19,000 kilometres (11,806 miles) of high-speed rail (HSR), the longest HSR network in the world.

According to our CIA Factbook, China has 191,270 km (118,850 mi).

[overall]

For those of us who think in miles, 1Km=0.62137119 miles. So, Argentina has 31,400 km of track and 31,400 km x 0.62137119 miles= 19,511 miles of track, a little less than Norfolk Southern, which has 20,000 miles.

[Ulrich]

I'm surprised at how low China and Russia are..

[daveklepper]

Train-tracks in selected countries.

       Trains are having a revival. Many countries now realize that a proper train-service is essential for a good economy.

Here is a short list of train-tracks in selected countries.

Argentina = 31400 Kms of track

Australia = 37860 Kms

Belgium =3233

Brazil = 29000

China= 77800

France= 29200

Germany = 42000

India = 63330

Israel= 913

Japan= 23500

Lebanon= 401

Poland =22314

Russia= 87160

Saudi Arabia =1392

St Africa= 20880

Sweden= 11633

UK= 16454

USA= 226427

The World has 1,134430 Kms of tracks

Only China, France, Germany, Japan and the UK have high-quality HIGH-SPEED tracks.

Israel will have an almost HIGH-SPEED system in place by May 2018.  The electrified train will do 160 k/h.

Australia, is still planning her -very expensive- and complicated HIGH-SPEED lines from Sydney to Melbourne-through Canberra. The current plans talk about 60 tunnels that will be built.

And Russia is constantly re-building sections of the T.Siberia R -all the time.

Anyway—this is just a quick summery.

 

Steve