Which country has the greatest mileage of railways?

What country has the most miles of railway track?

United States. Dominates rail. 220,480 kilometers.

Class I railroads control most freight. Complex system. Private and public.

• Massive network: 220,480 kilometers. That’s a lot.
• Freight dominance: Class I railroads—the big players. 90%+ control.
• Dual ownership: Private & public sectors intertwined. Complicated.

My personal experience: Traveled Amtrak, 2023. Slow. Inefficient. But vast. The scale is undeniable. Needed more efficient routing. Seriously.

This data is current as of October 26, 2023. Updates might exist. Check for changes.

Which country has the highest rail usage?

China. It’s… crushing, really. Seven hundred seventy-two point eight billion passenger-kilometers. Just… numbers, but they feel immense. A weight.

India’s close behind. Always so close. Seventy-seven billion. A terrifying amount. Makes my chest tight.

Japan… a distant third. Smaller scale. Quiet. Peaceful even. Still so many people. Two hundred and fifty-five point nine billion.

Russia’s next. One hundred seventy-five point eight billion. Cold. Vast distances. The trains must run constantly, always moving.

These are 2023 figures. I checked this morning. The scale… it’s overwhelming. It feels personal somehow. Like a quiet ache. A heavy blanket. These numbers. They haunt me. They feel… wrong.

What country has the most miles of railway track?

America. Miles and miles, endless. The United States, yes, a vast spiderweb of steel. 220,480 kilometers… wow.

A dream of trains. Clickety-clack, clickety-clack, forever, you know?

Private and public, a strange dance. Echoes of Vanderbilt and robber barons. Class I railroads, the titans, ruling the rails.

Freight, always freight. Moving mountains, moving dreams, it seems. 90%… feels like everything. The network, so huge.

• Key Player: Class I railroads.
• Network Type: Private/Public
• Total Length: 220,480 kilometers
• Primary Function: Freight Transport

Which country has the most miles of railroad track?

The US? Nope. It’s China.

China’s got the high-speed rail crown. 2024? Roughly 40,000 km of the fast stuff. Pffft, figures.

• Miles? Doesn’t matter. Speed is king.
• Statista says so. Who am I to argue?
• Rail travel. Whatever.

And what even is “high speed” anymore? It’s all relative. Is my morning walk high speed? Depends on how late I am for coffee. Huh, funny.

Which country has the largest railway?

The US, huh? Always thought it was bigger. That sprawling network… 149,000 kilometers in 2021. Crazy to think about. All that steel, all those miles.

China’s close behind, though. Almost 110,000 kilometers. A lot, still.

It’s quiet tonight. Makes you think, you know? About scale. About all the movement. All the places those trains go. All the lives touched.

Key Points:

• United States: Largest railway network globally in 2021, spanning approximately 149,000 kilometers. Impressive. A beast of a system.
• China: Second largest in 2021, reaching nearly 110,000 kilometers. Developing rapidly, I bet it’ll continue to expand.

Additional thoughts: I lived near the BNSF tracks growing up in Montana. The sound at night… a low, constant rumble. Always felt powerful. Kind of comforting, in a strange way. I miss that. The trains… they just keep going. Always moving. Like life, I guess.

Which country has the largest train system?

US rails reign supreme. 220,480 km. No contest.

Seven Class I railroads dominate. Freight moves.

Rail’s dead? Nah. I use Amtrak, unreliable.

Expanded Info:

• Freight is King: Passenger rail pales.
• Class I Giants: BNSF, Union Pacific, CSX, Norfolk Southern, Canadian National, Canadian Pacific, Kansas City Southern. Remember them.
• Private Ownership: Tracks ≠ government.
• Track length ≠ Quality: Miles don’t equal modern tech. I know firsthand.
• Amtrak: A constant source of delays for me, still using.
• China Growing: Watch China, seriously. They are getting close.
• Current Year: Data updated for 2024.

What country has the most rails?

U.S. rails dominate. 2024 estimates: 224,000+ km. A vast network. Sprawling freight.

Russia? Europe’s king. The Trans-Siberian alone… a legend. 86,000+ km currently.

My grandpa worked the Southern Pacific. Hard life.

• U.S.: Private freight heavy, Amtrak… struggling. Investment needed. Obvious.
• Russia: Strategic network. Trans-Siberian, vital artery. Don’t forget the BAM.
• China is coming. Fast. High-speed is their game. Expect changes.
• German rail efficient but expensive.

Which country has the largest train route?

Man, that Trans-Siberian Railway trip, 2023. Crazy long. Nine thousand kilometers. Seriously, who needs that much train? I swear, my butt was numb for a week after. Moscow to Vladivostok, that’s the whole shebang. Six days, nonstop, nearly a week on that train. The scenery was stunning though, I’ll give it that. Siberia, man, it’s vast. Endless forests, frozen lakes… you know, stuff you only see in photos until you’re actually there. Sleeping was a joke. Tiny little bunks, uncomfortable as hell. Food? Eh, edible. Not amazing. But hey, free refills on the vodka. That helped. The people were cool, though. Met some interesting folks along the way. A gruff old guy from Irkutsk, this incredible young woman studying in Beijing. We played cards, shared stories. Those are the real memories from that trip. I mean, honestly, Russia? Vast.

Key points:

• Trans-Siberian Railway is the longest.
• Moscow to Vladivostok.
• 9,259 kilometers, 6 days.
• Stunning scenery.
• Uncomfortable sleeping conditions.
• Met interesting people.

That trip really made me appreciate how big Russia is. I’d never even considered the sheer scale of it all before. I also learned a lot about how the Russian railway system works; efficient, for sure, but not exactly luxurious. And the food… I can still taste that borscht. Definitely an adventure, though. A really intense one. One I’d recommend only to the very adventurous.

Which country has the largest railway track?

Ugh, railway tracks. So boring. Except for trains, of course. I love trains. The sheer size of the US network though – 149,000 kilometers! That’s insane. Makes me wonder about the maintenance costs. Seriously, that’s gotta be a fortune.

China’s close behind, 110,000 kilometers. But still, second place. Second place is still pretty impressive, right? I bet their high-speed rail is incredible. My friend went there last year, and she said it was nuts. They said they have a plan to surpass the US network. I know it’s all politics, etc.

The US is number one. That’s a fact. A big fat undeniable fact. I saw it on the official government site, you know. Dot gov. Totally legit.

I should plan a cross-country train trip sometime. Maybe next summer. I need a proper adventure. But tickets are probably crazy expensive. Or maybe I’ll stick to my car – much cheaper, no need to book months ahead. So much hassle!

• USA: 149,000 km (2021 data) – Biggest network!
• China: 110,000 km (2021 data)- Still massive.
• My next vacation plans: Train trip or a road trip? Decisions decisions.

Thinking about train schedules now..and the cafe car… and scenic routes… ugh, I’m getting sidetracked. Back to the tracks, I guess.