Track Gauge - Dominant Gauges

Dominant Gauges

ft′ in″ mm
5′ 6″ 1676
5′ 5⅔″ 1668
5′ 3″ 1600
5′ 1524
4′ 11⅚″ 1520
4′8½″ 1435
4′6″ 1372
3′6″ 1067
3′5⅓″ 1050
3'3⅜″ 1000
3′1⅜″ 950
3′ 914
2′6″ 762
2′ 5½″ 750
2′ 610
1′ 11⅝″ 600


Further information: List of rail gauges
Gauge Name Installation (km) Installation (miles) Usage
1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) Indian gauge 78,500 48,800 India (42,000 km/26,000 mi; increasing with Project Unigauge), Pakistan, Argentina 24,000 km/15,000 mi, Chile, Sri Lanka 1,508 km/937 mi
(approx. 6.67% of the world's railways)
1,668 mm (5 ft 5 2⁄3 in) Iberian gauge 15,394 9,565 Portugal, Spain. In Spain as of the Iberian gauge 21 km/13 mi are of three-rail dual Iberian and standard gauges, more to come in the future
1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in) Irish gauge 9,800 6,100 Ireland (1,800 km/1,100 mi), and in Australia mainly Victoria and some South Australia Victorian gauge (4,017 km/2,496 mi), Brazil (4,057 km/2,521 mi)
1,524 mm (5 ft) Russian gauge 5,865 3,644 Finland (contiguous to and generally compatible with 1,520 mm (4 ft 11 5⁄6 in))
1,520 mm (4 ft 11 5⁄6 in) Russian gauge 220,000 140,000 CIS states, also Estonia, Georgia, Latvia, Lithuania, Mongolia
(approx. 17% of the world's railways; all contiguous — redefined from 1,524 mm (5 ft) )
1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) Standard gauge 720,000 450,000 Europe, Argentina, United States, Canada, China, Korea (South), Korea (North), Australia, Indonesia (only at Aceh), Middle East, North Africa, Mexico, Cuba, Panama, Venezuela, Peru, Uruguay and Philippines. Also high-speed lines in Japan, Taiwan and Spain.
(approx. 60% of the world's railways)
1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) Cape gauge 112,000 70,000 Southern and Central Africa, Indonesia, Japan, Taiwan, Philippines, New Zealand, Queensland Australia Queensland Rail
(approx. 9% of the world's railways)
1,000 mm (3 ft 3 3⁄8 in) Metre gauge 95,000 59,000 SE Asia, India (17,000 km/11,000 mi, decreasing with Project Unigauge), Argentina (11,000 km/6,800 mi), Brazil (23,489 km/14,595 mi), Bolivia, northern Chile, Switzerland (RhB, MOB, BOB, MGB), East Africa
(approx. 7% of the world's railways)

Read more about this topic:  Track Gauge

Famous quotes containing the word dominant:

    Combativeness was, I suppose, the dominant trait in my grandmother’s nature. An aggressive churchgoer, she was quite without Christian feeling; the mercy of the Lord Jesus had never entered her heart. Her piety was an act of war against Protestant ascendancy. ...The teachings of the Church did not interest her, except as they were a rebuke to others ...
    Mary McCarthy (1912–1989)