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{{Short description|Railway track gauge (1435 mm)}}
{{About|railway track gauge|loading gauges|Standard loading gauge|gauge in toy trains|Standard Gauge (toy trains)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2015}}
{{Sidebar track gauge}}

A '''standard-gauge railway''' is a [[railway]] with a [[track gauge]] of {{Track gauge|1435mm}}. The standard gauge is also called '''Stephenson gauge''' (after [[George Stephenson]]), '''international gauge''', '''UIC gauge''', '''uniform gauge''', '''normal gauge''' in Europe,<ref>{{cite web |first=Francesco |last=Falco |url=http://tentea.ec.europa.eu/en/ten-t_projects/ten-t_projects_by_country/estonia/2007-ee-27010-s.htm |website=TEN-T Executive Agency |title=2007-ee-27010-s |date=31 December 2012 |access-date=20 August 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120227131503/http://tentea.ec.europa.eu/en/ten-t_projects/ten-t_projects_by_country/estonia/2007-ee-27010-s.htm |archive-date=27 February 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://speedrail.ru/en/scm_in_the_world/detail13.html |title=Japan |website=Speedrail.ru |date=1 October 1964 |access-date=20 August 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120629031949/http://speedrail.ru/en/scm_in_the_world/detail13.html |archive-date=29 June 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |first=Francesco |last=Falco |url=http://tentea.ec.europa.eu/en/news__events/newsroom/eu_support_to_help_convert_the_port_of_barcelonas_rail_network_to_uic_gauge.htm |website=TEN-T Executive Agency |title=EU support to help convert the Port of Barcelona's rail network to UIC gauge |date=23 January 2013 |access-date=20 August 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130211090053/http://tentea.ec.europa.eu/en/news__events/newsroom/eu_support_to_help_convert_the_port_of_barcelonas_rail_network_to_uic_gauge.htm |archive-date=11 February 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.uic.org/com/article/spain-opening-of-the-first?page=thickbox_enews |title=Spain: opening of the first standard UIC gauge cross-border corridor between Spain and France |website=UIC Communications |access-date=20 August 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://ip.com/patfam/en/43414081 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130629123614/http://ip.com/patfam/en/43414081 |url-status=dead |archive-date=29 June 2013 |title=Displaceable rolling bogie for railway vehicles |website=IP.com |access-date=20 August 2013}}</ref> and '''SGR''' in East Africa. It is the most widely used track gauge around the world, with about 55% of the lines in the world using it.

All [[high-speed rail]] lines use standard gauge except [[High-speed rail in Russia|those in Russia]], [[High-speed rail in Finland|Finland]], [[High-speed rail in Uzbekistan|Uzbekistan]], and some line sections in [[High-speed rail in Spain|Spain]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-05-21 |title=Talgo Avril high-speed EMUs have entered service in Spain |url=https://rollingstockworld.com/passenger-cars/talgo-avril-high-speed-emus-have-entered-service-in-spain/ |access-date=2024-08-22 |website=ROLLINGSTOCK}}</ref> The distance between the inside edges of the heads of the rails is defined to be 1,435&nbsp;mm except in the United States, Canada, and on some heritage British lines, where it is defined in [[Imperial and US customary measurement systems|U.S. customary]]/[[Imperial units|British Imperial units]] as exactly "four feet eight and one half inches",<ref>[https://www.loc.gov/law/help/statutes-at-large/37th-congress/session-3/c37s3ch112.pdf] Thirty-Seventh Congress Session III Chap CXII March 3, 1863 Retrieved on 2019-01-08.</ref> which is equivalent to 1,435.1{{nbsp}}mm.

==History==
As [[railway]]s developed and expanded, one of the key issues was the [[track gauge]] (the distance, or width, between the inner sides of the rail heads) to be used, as the wheels of the [[rolling stock]] (locomotives, cars, etc.) must match this distance. Different railways used different gauges, and where track of different gauges met – a "[[Break of gauge|gauge break]]" – loads had to be unloaded from one set of rail cars and reloaded onto another, a time-consuming and expensive process. The result was the adoption throughout a large part of the world of a "standard gauge" of {{Track gauge|1435 mm}}, allowing interconnectivity and interoperability.

===Origins===
A popular legend that has circulated since at least 1937<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article62159153 |title=Standard Railway Gauge |newspaper=[[Townsville Bulletin]] |date=5 October 1937 |access-date=3 June 2011 |page=12 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> traces the origin of the {{Track gauge|1435 mm}} gauge even further back than the coalfields of northern England, pointing to the evidence of rutted roads marked by [[chariot]] wheels dating from the [[Roman Empire]].{{Efn|The gaps in the pedestrian crossings in [[Pompeii]] could give credence or otherwise to this statement, but no relevant studies appear to have been made.}}<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article71309815 |title=Standard Rail Gauge Set By Old Ox-Carts |newspaper=[[The Worker (Brisbane)|The Worker]] |volume=58 |issue=3122 |location=Brisbane, Queensland |date=19 May 1947 |access-date=13 April 2016 |page=17 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> [[Snopes]] categorised this legend as "false", but commented that it "is perhaps more fairly labeled as 'Partly true, but for trivial and unremarkable reasons.{{'"}}<ref name="Snopes, Roman chariots" >{{cite web |url=http://www.snopes.com/history/american/gauge.asp |title=Are U.S. Railroad Gauges Based on Roman Chariots? |first1=David |last1=Mikkelson |website=[[Snopes]]|date=16 April 2001 }}</ref> The historical tendency to place the wheels of horse-drawn vehicles around {{Track gauge |5 ft}} apart probably derives from the width needed to fit a [[carthorse]] in between the shafts.<ref name="Snopes, Roman chariots" /> Research, however, has been undertaken to support the hypothesis that "the origin of the standard gauge of the railway might result from an interval of wheel ruts of prehistoric ancient carriages".<ref>{{Cite conference|url=https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jsmeicbtt/2006.3/0/2006.3_98/_article/-char/en|title=Origin of the world's standard gauge of railway is in the interval of wheel ruts of ancient carriages |first1=Masanori |last1=Ogata |first2=Ichiro |last2=Tsutsumi |first3=Yorikazu |last3=Shimotsuma |first4=Nobuko |last4=Shiotsu |conference=The International Conference on Business & Technology Transfer |date=6 December 2006 |access-date=8 August 2023 |doi=10.1299/jsmeicbtt.2006.3.0_98 |page=98|doi-access=free }}</ref>

In addition, while road-travelling vehicles are typically measured from the outermost portions of the wheel rims, it became apparent that for vehicles travelling on rails, having main [[Train wheel#Wheel geometry and flange|wheel flanges]] that fit ''inside'' the rails is better, thus the minimum distance between the wheels (and, by extension, the inside faces of the [[rail profile|rail heads]]) was the important one.

A standard gauge for horse railways never existed, but rough groupings were used; in the north of England none was less than {{Track gauge|4ft|lk=on}}.{{Sfn |Baxter |1966 |p=56}} [[Wylam]] colliery's system, built before 1763, was {{Track gauge |5 ft}}, as was [[John Blenkinsop]]'s [[Middleton Railway]]; the old {{Track gauge|4ft}} plateway was relaid to {{Track gauge|5 ft}} so that Blenkinsop's engine could be used.{{Sfn |Baxter |1966 |p=56}} Others were {{Track gauge |4ft4in}} (in [[Beamish, County Durham|Beamish]]) or {{Track gauge|4ft7.5in}} (in [[Bigges Main]] (in [[Wallsend]]), [[Kenton, Newcastle upon Tyne|Kenton]], and [[Coxlodge]]).{{Sfn |Baxter |1966 |p=56}}<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.twsitelines.info/smr/1128|title=Tyne and Wear HER(1128): Bigges Main Wagonway – Details |website=Sitelines |publisher=Tyne and Wear Archaeology Officer |access-date=20 November 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161121165745/http://www.twsitelines.info/smr/1128|archive-date=21 November 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref>

=== Stone block sleepers ===

Very early tramways used pairs of stone blocks which meant that the feet of horses didn't trip over obstacles in the middle of the track.      However timber sleepers,
which could cause the feet of horses to trip, held the gauge better.

=== Pioneer gauges ===

English railway pioneer [[George Stephenson]] spent much of his early engineering career working for the coal mines of [[County Durham]]. He favoured [[4 ft 8 in gauge railways|
{{Track gauge|4 ft 8 in|disp=1}}]] ({{Track gauge|4ft8in|first=met|disp=1}}) for wagonways in [[Northumberland]] and [[Durham, England|Durham]], and used it on his [[Killingworth]] line.{{Sfn |Baxter |1966 |p=56}} The [[Hetton-le-Hole|Hetton]] and [[Springwell Village|Springwell]] wagonways also used this gauge.

Stephenson's [[Stockton and Darlington railway]] (S&DR) was built primarily to transport coal from mines near [[Shildon]] to the port at [[Stockton-on-Tees]]. Opening in 1825, the initial gauge of {{Track gauge|4ft8in}} was set to accommodate the existing gauge of hundreds of horse-drawn [[Chaldron|chaldron wagons]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.drcm.org.uk/Content/Collections/The%20Wagons.htm|title=The Wagons|website=DRCM|access-date=1 June 2016|archive-date=7 August 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160807044310/http://www.drcm.org.uk/Content/Collections/The%20Wagons.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref> that were already in use on the [[wagonway]]s in the mines. The railway used this gauge for 15 years before a [[Gauge conversion|change]] was made, debuting around 1850, to the {{Track gauge|1435mm}} gauge.{{Sfn |Baxter |1966 |p=56}}{{sfn|Vaughan |1997}}{{page needed |date=February 2015}} The historic [[Mount Washington Cog Railway]], the world's first [[Mount Washington (New Hampshire)|mountain]]-climbing [[rack railway]], is still in operation in the 21st century, and has used the earlier {{Track gauge|4ft8in}} gauge since its inauguration in 1868.

George Stephenson introduced the {{Track gauge|1435mm}} gauge (including a belated extra {{cvt|1/2|in|mm}} of free movement to reduce binding on curves{{Sfn |Vaughan |1997|p=19}}) for the [[Liverpool and Manchester Railway]], authorised in 1826 and opened 30 September 1830. The extra half inch was not regarded at first as very significant, and some early trains ran on both gauges daily without compromising safety.<ref>{{cite book|last=Tomlinson|first=Wiliam Weaver|year=1915|title=The North Eastern Railway: Its Rise and Development|publisher=Andrew Reid; Longmans, Green|location=Newcastle-upon-Tyne; London|url=https://archive.org/details/northeasternrail00tomlrich/page/n6/mode/1up?view=theater|access-date=20 March 2023 |page=81 |quote=I [John Dixon] can testify to the fact of there being half an inch difference in the gauge of the [[Great North of England Railway]] and the Stockton and Darlington Railway, and that engines and carriages reciprocally travel on each line daily without danger or a suspicion thereof from that cause: indeed, the fact of this difference is not generally known.}}</ref>

The success of this project led to Stephenson and his son [[Robert Stephenson|Robert]] being employed to engineer several other larger railway projects. Thus the {{Track gauge|4ft8.5in}} gauge became widespread and dominant in Britain. Robert was reported to have said that if he had had a second chance to choose a gauge, he would have chosen one wider than {{Track gauge|4ft8.5in}}.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article38838254 |title=Trans-Australian Railway. Bill Before The Senate |newspaper=[[Western Mail (Western Australia)]] |location=Perth |date=2 December 1911 |access-date=15 March 2013 |page=17 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article89717905 |title=Peoples' Liberal Party |newspaper=[[Bendigo Advertiser]] |date=27 February 1912 |access-date=21 November 2013 |page=5 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> "I would take a few inches more, but a very few".<ref name="Jones, II" >{{harvp|Jones|2009|pp=64–65}}.</ref>

During the "[[Gauge War|gauge war]]" with the [[Great Western Railway]], standard gauge was called "[[Narrow-gauge railway|narrow gauge]]", in contrast to the Great Western's {{Track gauge|7ft0.25in|lk=on}} [[broad gauge]]. The modern use of the term "narrow gauge" for gauges less than standard did not arise for many years, until the first such locomotive-hauled passenger railway, the [[Ffestiniog Railway]], was built.{{citation needed |date=September 2022}}

=== Gauge in Ireland ===

Ireland built its first railway with standard 1435mm gauge, but switched to [[Track gauge in Ireland|1600mm gauge]] after a decree from the [[Board of Trade]].

=== Early Example ===

An early example of 1435mm gauge was at [[Willington, Derbyshire|Willington Colliery]], a 3-mile line running to the River Tyne.    <ref> {{cite book| title = "Steel Wheels" | last = Garnett | first = A. F. | publisher = Cannwood Press | year=2005| page= 07 | ISBN=978-0955-0257-0-9 }} </ref>

===Adoption===
In 1845, in the [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland]], a [[Royal Commission on Railway Gauges]] reported in favour of a standard gauge. The subsequent [[Regulating the Gauge of Railways Act 1846|Gauge Act]] ruled that new passenger-carrying railways in Great Britain should be built to a standard gauge of {{Track gauge|4ft8.5in}}, and those in Ireland to a new standard gauge of {{Track gauge|5ft3in|lk=on}}. In Great Britain, Stephenson's gauge was chosen on the grounds that existing lines of this gauge were eight times longer than those of the rival {{Track gauge|7ft|disp=or}} (later {{Track gauge|7ft0.25in|disp=or}}) gauge adopted principally by the Great Western Railway. It allowed the broad-gauge companies in Great Britain to continue with their tracks and expand their networks within the "Limits of Deviation" and the exceptions defined in the Act.

After an intervening period of [[dual gauge|mixed-gauge]] operation (tracks were laid with three rails), the Great Western Railway finally completed the [[Gauge conversion|conversion]] of its network to standard gauge in 1892. In North East England, some early lines in colliery ([[coal mining]]) areas were {{Track gauge|4ft8in|lk=on}}, while in [[Scotland]] some early lines were {{Track gauge|4ft6in|lk=on}}. The British gauges converged starting from 1846 as the advantages of equipment interchange became increasingly apparent. By the 1890s, the entire network was [[Track gauge conversion|converted]] to standard gauge.

The [[Royal Commission]] made no comment about small lines narrower than standard gauge (to be called "narrow gauge"), such as the [[Ffestiniog Railway]]. Thus it permitted a future multiplicity of narrow gauges in the UK. It also made no comments about future gauges in British colonies, which allowed various gauges to be adopted across the colonies.

Parts of the United States, mainly in the Northeast, adopted the same gauge, because some early trains were purchased from Britain. The American gauges converged, as the advantages of equipment interchange became increasingly apparent. Notably, all the {{Track gauge|5ft|lk=on}} [[broad gauge]] track in the [[Southern United States|South]] was converted to "almost standard" gauge {{Track gauge|4ft9in}} over the course of two days beginning on 31 May 1886.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://southern.railfan.net/ties/1966/66-8/gauge.html|title=The Days They Changed the Gauge|access-date=1 June 2016}}</ref> ''See'' [[Track gauge in the United States]].

In continental Europe, France and Belgium adopted a {{Track gauge|1500mm}} gauge (measured between the midpoints of each [[Rail profile|rail's profile]]) for their early railways.<ref>Auguste Perdonnet, mémoire sur les chemins à ornières, 1830</ref> The gauge between the interior edges of the rails (the measurement adopted from 1844) differed slightly between countries, and even between networks within a country (for example, {{Track gauge|1440mm|disp=or}} to {{Track gauge|1445mm|disp=or}} in France). The first tracks in Austria and in the Netherlands had other gauges ({{track gauge|1000mm|disp=or}} in Austria for the Donau Moldau line and {{track gauge|1945mm|disp=or|lk=on}} in the Netherlands for the [[Hollandsche IJzeren Spoorweg-Maatschappij]]), but for interoperability reasons (the first rail service between Paris and Berlin began in 1849, first Chaix timetable) Germany adopted standard gauges, as did most other European countries.

The modern method of measuring rail gauge was agreed in the first Berne rail convention of 1886.<ref>Revue générale des chemins de fer, July 1928.</ref>

==Early railways by gauge==
=== Non-standard gauge ===
{|class="wikitable sortable"
!Name !!Authorised !!Opened !!Gauge
|-
|[[Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway]]||1824||1825||{{Track gauge|4ft6in}}
|-
|[[Dundee and Newtyle Railway]]||1829||1831||{{Track gauge|54.5in}}
|-
|[[Eastern Counties Railway]]||1836, 4 July||1839, 20 June||{{Track gauge|5ft|lk=on}}<ref name="Whishaw, 91" >{{harvp|Whishaw|1842|p=91}}.</ref>
|-
|[[London and Blackwall Railway]]||1838, 28 July|| 1840 ||{{Track gauge|60.5in}}<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.stgite.org.uk/media/publictransport.html |title=Public transport in and about the parish |at=London and Blackwall Railway; London, Tilbury & Southend Railway |website=St George-in-the-East Church |location=London}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mernick.org.uk/dlr/documents/09.pdf|title=Docklands Light Railway: Tower Gateway to West India Quay |website=Mernick |access-date=1 June 2016}}</ref><ref name="Whishaw, 260">{{harvp |Whishaw|1842|p=260}}.</ref>
|-
|[[Dundee and Arbroath Railway]] ||1836, 19 May<br><small>incorporated</small>||1838, October||{{Track gauge|5ft6in|lk=on}}<br><small>Until [[Track gauge conversion|standardised]] in 1847</small>
|-
|[[Arbroath and Forfar Railway]] ||1836, 19 May<br><small>incorporated</small>||1838, November||{{Track gauge|5ft6in}}
|-
|[[Northern and Eastern Railway]] ||1836, 4 July||1840, 15 September|| {{Track gauge|5ft}}<ref name="Whishaw, 363" >{{harvp |Whishaw|1842|p=363}}.</ref>
|-
|[[Aberdeen Railway]]       || 1845 || 1848 || {{Track gauge|5ft6in}}<br><small>Until [[Track gauge conversion|standardised]]</small>
|-
| [[Great Western Railway]] || 1835 || 1838 || {{Track gauge|7ft 0.25in}}<br><small>Until [[Track gauge conversion|standardised]]</small>
|-
| [[Ulster Railway]]        || 1836 || 1839 || {{Track gauge|6ft 2in}} <br><small>Until [[Track gauge conversion|5ft 3in]]</small>
|}

===Almost standard gauge===
{{main|4 ft 8 in gauge railways}}
* The [[Huddersfield Corporation Tramways]], used {{Track gauge |4ft7.75in}}
* The [[Portsdown and Horndean Light Railway]], used {{Track gauge |4ft7.75in}}
* The [[Portsmouth Corporation Transport]], used {{Track gauge |4ft7.75in}}
* The [[Killingworth Colliery railway|Killingworth colliery railway]], used {{Track gauge |4ft8in}}.<ref name="The Rocket Men p33">{{harvp|Jones|2013|p=33}}.</ref>
* The [[Hetton colliery railway]], opened 1822, used {{Track gauge|4ft8in}}.<ref name="The Rocket Men p33" />
* The [[Stockton and Darlington Railway]], authorised 1821, opened 1825, used {{Track gauge |4ft8in}}.
* The [[New Orleans and Carrollton Railroad]] used {{Track gauge |4ft8in}}
* The [[Pontchartrain Railroad]] used {{Track gauge |4ft8in}}
* The [[trams in Nuremberg]] nominally used {{Track gauge|1432mm}} during much of their existence, but have since been [[Track gauge conversion|converted]] to standard gauge in name as well as fact.
<!-- Please add info on modern railways in the Modern section, not here. -->

===Standard gauge===
{|class="wikitable sortable"
!Name!!Authorised!!Opened!!Remarks
|-
|[[Baltimore and Ohio Railroad]]||1827||1830||A 13 mile section, between [[Baltimore]] and [[Ellicott City, Maryland|Elliot's Mill]] started revenue operation, with horse-drawn cars, on 24 May 1830.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bak |first=Luca |date=1830-05-24 |title=First passenger rail service in US (Baltimore and Elliots Mill, Maryland). |url=https://www.todaysflashback.com/first-passenger-rail-service-in-us-baltimore-and-elliots-mill-maryland/ |access-date=2025-05-14 |website=Today's Flashback |language=en-US}}</ref>
|-
|[[Liverpool and Manchester Railway]]||1824||1830||
|-
|[[Saint-Étienne–Lyon railway]]||1826||1833||All the early French railways (including Saint-Etienne Andrezieux, authorised 1823, opened 1827) had a French Gauge of {{Track gauge|1500mm}} from rail axis to rail axis, compatible with early standard gauge [[Engineering tolerance|tolerances]])
|-
|[[Dublin and Kingstown Railway]]||1831||1834 <small>For passenger traffic</small>|| converted to 5&nbsp;ft 3in in 1857
|-
|[[Newcastle & Carlisle Railway]] ||1829||1834|| Isolated from LMR
|-
|[[Grand Junction Railway]] ||1833||1837|| Connected to LMR
|-
|[[London and Birmingham Railway]] ||1833||1838|| Connected to LMR
|-
|[[Manchester and Birmingham Railway]] ||1837||1840|| Connected to LMR
|-
|[[Birmingham and Gloucester Railway]] ||1836||1840|| Connected to LMR
|-
|[[London and Southampton Railway]] ||1834||1840||
|-
|[[London and Brighton Railway]] ||1837||1841||
|-
|[[South Eastern Railway (UK)|South Eastern Railway]]||1836||1844||
|- 
| [[Australia]]  (NSW, VIC, SA) ||1848||1854|| Original recommendation from London
|}

===Small deviations from standard gauge===
* The [[Manchester and Leeds Railway]], authorised on 4 July 1836, used {{Track gauge|4ft9in}}.<ref name="Whishaw, 319" >{{harvp |Whishaw|1842|p=319}}.</ref>
** The {{Track gauge|4ft9in}} railways were intended to take {{Track gauge|ussg}} gauge vehicles and allow a (second) running [[Engineering tolerance|tolerance]].
* The [[Chester and Birkenhead Railway]], authorised on 12 July 1837, used {{Track gauge|4ft9in}}.<ref name="Whishaw, 54" >{{harvp |Whishaw|1842|p=54}}.</ref>
* The [[London and Brighton Railway]], authorised on 15 July 1837, used {{Track gauge|4ft9in}}.<ref name="Whishaw, 273" >{{harvp |Whishaw|1842|p=273}}.</ref>
* The [[Manchester and Birmingham Railway]], authorised on 30 June 1837, used {{Track gauge|4ft9in}}.<ref name="Whishaw, 303" >{{harvp |Whishaw|1842|p=303}}.</ref>
* The [[Pennsylvania Railroad]] originally used {{Track gauge|4ft9in}}
* The [[trams in Dresden]], authorised in 1872 as [[horsecar]]s, used {{Track gauge|1440mm}} gauge vehicles. Converted to 600 V DC electric trams in 1893, they now use {{Track gauge|1450mm}}; both gauges are within the [[Engineering tolerance|tolerance]] for standard gauge.
* The [[Track gauge in the United States#Gauge war|Ohio gauge]] of {{Track gauge|4ft10in|lk=on}}

=== Dual gauge ===
{{main|Dual gauge}}
* [[Cheltenham and Great Western Union Railway]], authorised 1836, opened 1840, dual gauge 1843 {{Track gauge|uksg|allk=on}} and {{Track gauge|7ft0.25in|lk=on}}.

=== Initially standard gauge ===
Several lines were initially built as standard gauge but were later converted to another gauge for cost or for compatibility reasons.{{Citation needed|date=December 2023}}
* [[South Africa]] became {{railgauge|1067mm}}
* [[State Railway of Thailand#History|Thailand]] became {{railgauge|1000mm}}
* [[Indonesia]] became {{railgauge|1067mm}}
* [[Ireland]] became {{railgauge|1600mm}} – [[Dublin and Kingstown Railway]]
* [[Australia]] became {{railgauge|1600mm}} – [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]] & [[South Australia]] – partly converted to {{railgauge|1435mm}}
* [[India]] became {{railgauge|1676mm}} – initial freight lines <!-- [[5 ft 6 in gauge railway]] -->
* some private [[Japan]]ese railways

==Modern almost standard gauge railways==
* The [[Toronto Transit Commission]] uses a [[Toronto-gauge railways|Toronto gauge]] of {{Track gauge|toronto}} on its [[Toronto streetcar system|streetcar]] and heavy-rail [[Toronto subway|subway]] lines, which was actually closer to {{Track gauge|1520mm|lk=on}} gauge.
**[[Toronto-gauge railways#Standard-gauge lines|The Toronto Transit Commission]] [[Light metro|light-metro]] lines and [[light rail|light-rail]] lines (whether existing, under construction or proposed) use standard gauge.
* [[Trams in Leipzig]], Germany use {{Track gauge|1458mm}}. <!-- See article -->
* [[Trams in Dresden]], Germany use {{Track gauge|1450mm}}. <!-- See article -->
* {{Track gauge|1445mm}} gauge is in use on several [[urban rail transit]] systems in Europe:
** [[Track gauge in Italy#1,445 mm (4 ft 8 7⁄8 in) gauge railways|Trams in Italy]]
** [[Madrid Metro]] (only metro system. [[Metro Ligero|Light rail system]] uses standard gauge.)
* The [[MTR]] in Hong Kong uses {{Track gauge|1432mm}} gauge on lines owned by the [[MTR Corporation]]. However, lines formerly operated (but which continue to be owned) by the [[Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation]], including the [[Light Rail (MTR)|Light Rail network]], use {{Track gauge|1435mm}} gauge. New lines and extensions to the MTR after 2014 use {{Track gauge|1435mm}} gauge, including the [[South Island line]], [[Kwun Tong line extension]] and [[West Island line]].
* The [[Bucharest Metro]] uses {{Track gauge|1432mm}} gauge.
* The [[Washington Metro]] uses [[Washington Metro rolling stock|{{Track gauge|4ft8.25in}}]], {{convert|1/4|in|mm|0|abbr=on}} narrower than standard gauge.
* The [[Mount Washington Cog Railway]], the world's oldest mountain-climbing [[Rack railway|rack-and-pinion railway]], uses a {{Track gauge|4ft8in|lk=on}} gauge.

==Railways==
{|class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!Country/territory
!Railway
!Notes
|-
|[[Albania]]
|[[Rail transport in Albania#The present day network|National rail network]]
|{{convert|677|km|mi|abbr=on}}<ref>{{cite book |chapter-url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/albania/|title=The World Factbook |chapter=Albania |access-date=1 June 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/384.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190111051654/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/384.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=11 January 2019 |title=CIA data}}</ref>
|-
|[[Algeria]]
|{{plainlist|
*[[Rail transport in Algeria#The present day network|National rail network]]
*[[Algiers Metro]], [[Algiers tramway]], [[Constantine tramway]], [[Oran tramway]], [[Oran Metro]]
}}
|{{convert|3973|km|mi|abbr=on}}<ref>{{cite book |chapter-url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/algeria/|title=The World Factbook |chapter=Algeria |access-date=1 June 2016}}</ref>
|-
| [[Angola]]
|
|{{convert|80|km|mi|0|abbr=on}}
|-
|[[Argentina]]
|{{plainlist|
*[[General Urquiza Railway]] (except for [[Ferrocarril Económico Correntino]], which used {{Track gauge|600mm|disp=or|lk=on}} before its closing)
*[[Buenos Aires Underground]]
*[[Metrotranvía Mendoza]]
*[[Tren de la Costa]]
}}
|Other major lines are mostly {{Track gauge|1676mm|lk=on}} [[broad gauge]], with the exception of the {{Track gauge|1000mm|allk=on}} [[General Belgrano Railway]]. {{Further|Rail transport in Argentina}}
|-
|[[Australia]]
|{{plainlist|
*[[Australian Rail Track Corporation]]
*[[Pilbara Railways]]
*[[Sydney Trains]]
*[[Sydney Metro]]
*[[Light rail in Sydney|Sydney Light Rail]]
*[[Newcastle Light Rail]]
*[[Parramatta Light Rail]]
*[[NSW TrainLink]]
*[[Trams in Melbourne|Melbourne trams]]
*[[Tramways revival in Adelaide|Adelaide Metro trams]]
*[[G:link|Gold Coast tram]]
*[[Light rail in Canberra|Canberra Metro]]
* [[Rail transport in Victoria|Victorian Trains]] ([[Southern Cross railway station|Melbourne]]-[[Albury railway station|Albury]] via Moonee Valley, [[Southern Cross railway station|Melbourne]]-[[Adelaide Parklands Terminal|Adelaide]] via Gerringhap, [[Dimboola railway station|Dimboola]], [[Rainbow, Victoria|Rainbow]] Line [[Yelta railway station|Yelta]] Line, [[Maryborough, Victoria|Maryborough]]- [[Mildura railway station|Mildura]]) {{Further|List of Australian railway companies}}
}}
|{{Further|Rail gauge in Australia}}
{{convert|2295|km|mi|abbr=on}}

[[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]] built the first railways to the {{Track gauge|63in|lk=on}} Irish broad gauge. [[New South Wales]] then built to the standard gauge, so trains had to stop on the border and passengers transferred, which was only rectified in the 1960s. Queensland still runs on a narrow gauge but there is a standard gauge line from [[New South Wales|NSW]] to Brisbane.
|-
|[[Austria]]
|[[ÖBB|Österreichische Bundesbahnen]]
|{{convert|4859|km|mi|abbr=on}} The [[Semmering railway]] has [[World Heritage Site|UNESCO World Heritage Site]] status.
|-
|[[Bangladesh]]
|[[Dhaka Metro Rail]]
|{{convert|20.1|km|mi|abbr=on}}
|-
|[[Belgium]]
|[[NMBS/SNCB]], [[Brussels Metro]] and [[Trams in Brussels|tramway]]
|<p>NMBS/SNCB {{convert|3619|km|mi|abbr=on}} <ref>{{cite web | url=https://opendata.infrabel.be/explore/dataset/kilometers-spoorlijnen-per-gewest/table/?disjunctive.region_en | title=Infrabel OpenData - Kilometres railway lines by region | date=21 April 2023}}</ref></p>

Brussels Metro {{convert|40|km|mi|abbr=on}}

Trams in Brussels {{convert|140|km|mi|abbr=on}}

|-
|[[Bolivia]]
|[[Mi Tren]]
|42&nbsp;km (26.1&nbsp;mi)
|-
|[[Bosnia and Herzegovina]]
|{{plainlist|
*[[Željeznice Federacije Bosne i Hercegovine]] and [[Željeznice Republike Srpske]]
*[[Sarajevo]] tramways
}}
|{{Further|Rail transport in Bosnia and Herzegovina}}
{{convert|1032|km|mi|abbr=on}} 
|-
|[[Brazil]]
|{{plainlist|
*[[Estrada de Ferro do Amapá]];<ref>{{harvp|Setti|2008|p=25}}.</ref> from Uruguaiana to the border with Argentina and from Santana do Livramento to the border with Uruguay (both [[Dual gauge|mixed gauge]] {{Track gauge|1435mm|disp=1}} and {{Track gauge|1000mm|allk=on|disp=or}}); remaining tracks at Jaguarão, Rio Grande do Sul (currently inoperable) 
*[[Rio de Janeiro Light Rail]] 
*[[São Paulo Metro]] lines [[Line 4 (São Paulo Metro)|4]] and [[Line 5 (São Paulo Metro)|5]] 
*[[Salvador Metro]] 
*[[Baixada Santista Light Rail]]
}}
|{{convert|205.5|km|mi|abbr=on}}
|-
|[[Bulgaria]]
|{{plainlist|
*National Railway Infrastructure Company (NRIC)
*[[Bulgarian State Railways]] (BDZ)
*Sofia Underground<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.metropolitan.bg/index_eng.html |title=Metropolitan Sofia |website=Metropolitan.bg |access-date=7 December 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090818195624/http://www.metropolitan.bg/index_eng.html |archive-date=18 August 2009 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
*part of Sofia Tramway system<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.skgt-bg.com/index_en.htm |title=Sofia Public Transport Co. |access-date=1 June 2016 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20060810092922/http://www.skgt-bg.com/index_en.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=10 August 2006}}</ref>
}}
|
|-
|[[Canada]]
|[[Rail transport in Canada|National rail network]] (including commuter rail operators like [[GO Transit]], [[West Coast Express]], [[Exo commuter rail|Exo]] and [[Union Pearson Express]]).
|{{convert|49422|km|mi|abbr=on}}
The [[Toronto Transit Commission]] uses {{track gauge|4 ft 10 7⁄8 in|lk=on}} gauge on its streetcar and subway lines.
|-
|[[China]]
||[[Rail transport in China|National rail network]]
|{{convert|103144|km|mi|0|abbr=on}}
|-
|[[Chile]]
||[[Santiago Metro]]
|{{convert|140.8|km|mi|0|abbr=on}}
|-
| [[Croatia]]
|[[Hrvatske željeznice]]
|{{Further|Transport in Croatia}}
|-
|[[Colombia]]
|[[Metro de Medellín]], [[Tren del Cerrejón]], [[Bogotá Metro|Metro de Bogotá]]
|
|-
|[[Cuba]]
|[[Ferrocarriles de Cuba]]
|{{convert|4266|km|mi|0|abbr=on}}
|-
|[[Czech Republic]]
|{{plainlist|
*[[Správa železnic]]
*[[Prague Metro]]
*all [[tram]] systems in the country ([[Liberec]] has dual gauge 1,000/1,435&nbsp;mm, with one metre-gauge only for heritage rolling stock on a small part of the network)
*[[funicular]] in [[Prague]]
}}
|{{convert|9478|km|mi|0|abbr=on}}
|-
|[[Denmark]]
|[[Banedanmark]] and [[Copenhagen Metro]]
|
|-
|[[Djibouti]]
|[[Addis Ababa-Djibouti Railway]]
|{{convert|100|km|mi|0|abbr=on}}
|-
|[[Egypt]]
|[[Egyptian National Railways]]
|
|-
|[[Estonia]]
|[[Rail Baltica]]
|Standard-gauge Rail Baltica railway is under construction and is scheduled to be completed by 2030. Cost studies have been undertaken for a potential overhaul of entire rail network to standard gauge.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.err.ee/1608705319/euroopa-roopmelaiusele-uleminek-laheks-maksma-8-7-miljardit-eurot | title=Euroopa rööpmelaiusele üleminek läheks maksma 8,7 miljardit eurot | date=5 September 2022 }}</ref>
|-
|[[Ethiopia]]
|[[Addis Ababa-Djibouti Railway]]; [[Addis Ababa Light Rail]]
|{{convert|659|km|mi|0|abbr=on}} [[Rail transport in Ethiopia|Other standard gauge lines]] under construction.
|-
|Finland
|{{plainlist|
* [[Tampere tram]]
* [[Helsinki–Tallinn Tunnel]] (planned)
* [[Rail Baltica]] (planned)
}}
|
|-
|[[France]]
|[[SNCF]], [[Régie Autonome des Transports Parisiens|RATP]] (on RER lines)
|
|-
|Gabon
|[[Trans-Gabon Railway]]
| {{convert|669|km|mi|0|abbr=on}}
|-
|[[Germany]]
|[[Deutsche Bahn]], numerous local public transport providers
|{{convert|43,468|km|mi|abbr=on}}
|-
|[[Georgia (country)|Georgia]]
|[[Georgian Railway]] {{Track gauge|1435mm|allk=on}} constructed between [[Akhalkalaki]] to [[Karstakhi]] for [[Baku-Tbilisi-Kars Railway]]
|{{convert|26.142|km|mi|abbr=on}}
|-
| [[Ghana]]
| [[Tema-Mpakadan Railway Line]]
Takoradi to Sekondi Route, is currently operated by the [[Ghana Railway Company Limited]].
[[Kojokrom-Sekondi Railway Line]]
(The Kojokrom-Sekondi line is a [[branch line]] that joins the [[Western Railway Line, Ghana|Western Railway Line]] at [[Kojokrom]])
| New and extended SGR are being built, with some dual gauge.
|-
| [[Greece]]
|[[Hellenic Railways Organisation]] (operated by [[TrainOSE]])
|All modern Greek networks, except in the Peloponnese
|-
| [[Holy See]]
|
|{{convert|1|km|mi|abbr=on}}
|-
|[[Hong Kong]]
|[[MTR]] (former [[Kowloon–Canton Railway|KCR]] network – [[East Rail line]], [[Tuen Ma line]], [[Light Rail (MTR)|Light Rail]])
|Other MTR lines use 1,432&nbsp;mm (4&nbsp;ft {{frac|8|3|8}}&nbsp;in) instead of 4&nbsp;ft {{frac|8|1|2}}&nbsp;in<ref name=HK>{{cite web|url=http://www.2427junction.com/chinahongkongmtr.html |title=香港鐵路(MTR) |website=2427junction.com |date=15 February 2006 |access-date=20 August 2013}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.ica.roofandfacade.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=51:hong-kongs-mtr-system&catid=46:surface-roadrail-transport&Itemid=13 |title=Hong Kong's MTR System |date=12 March 2007 |website=Roof and Facade |access-date=7 December 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130609192328/http://www.ica.roofandfacade.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=51:hong-kongs-mtr-system&catid=46:surface-roadrail-transport&Itemid=13 |archive-date=9 June 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{harvp|Allen|1987|p=}}.{{page needed|date=February 2015}}</ref>
|-
|Hungary
|{{plainlist|
*[[Hungarian State Railways|MÁV]], [[GySEV]]
*[[Budapest Metro]]
* [[BHÉV|HÉV]] (suburban railway)
*[[Tram]] systems in [[Budapest]], [[Debrecen]], [[Miskolc]], [[Szeged]]
*[[Budapest Cog-wheel Railway]]
*[[Budapest Castle Hill Funicular]]
}}
|
|-
|[[India]]
|Only used for rapid transit and tram, [[Bangalore Metro]], [[Chennai Metro]], [[Delhi Metro]] (Phase 2 onwards), [[Rapid Metro Gurgaon]], [[Hyderabad Metro]], [[Jaipur Metro]], [[Kochi Metro]], [[Kolkata Metro]] ([[Green Line (Kolkata Metro)|Green Line]]), [[Lucknow Metro]], [[Mumbai Metro]], [[Nagpur Metro]], [[Navi Mumbai Metro]], [[Pune Metro]] and [[Trams in Kolkata]]. The under-construction [[Mumbai–Ahmedabad high-speed rail corridor]] based on the [[Shinkansen]] also uses standard gauge. All under-construction and future rapid transit systems would be in standard gauge.[[Delhi–Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System]]
|{{convert|128305|km|mi|abbr=on}}
Indian nationwide rail system ([[Indian Railways]]) uses {{Track gauge|1676mm|lk=on}} broad gauge. 96% of the broad gauge network is electrified.
|-
|[[Indonesia]]
|[[Cut Meutia (train)|Aceh rail]], [[Bali MRT]] (under construction), [[Jakarta LRT]], [[Jabodebek LRT]], [[Trans-Sulawesi Railway]] (Makassar-Parepare section), [[Jakarta MRT|Jakarta MRT West-east line]] (planned), and [[High-speed rail in Indonesia|Jakarta-Bandung high speed]] networks
|The very first railway line in Indonesia which connects [[Semarang]] to Tanggung, which later extended to [[Yogyakarta railway station|Yogyakarta]] was laid to standard gauge.<ref>{{Cite web|title=History of Railways in Indonesia|url=https://keretapi.tripod.com/history.html|access-date=2021-05-25|website=keretapi.tripod.com}}</ref> Opened in 1867, it was mostly regauged to 1,067mm/3ft6in during [[Japanese occupation of the Dutch East Indies|Japanese occupation]] in 1943, while a short line in Semarang Harbor soldiered on until 1945.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Nederlands-Indische Spoorweg Maatschappij|url=http://searail.malayanrailways.com/PJKA/Nederland-Indies%20Railway/NISM.htm|access-date=2021-05-25|website=searail.malayanrailways.com}}</ref> Standard gauge railway lines made a return in 2014 on experimental railway line in Aceh.
The railway tracks of Java and Sumatra use {{Track gauge|1067mm|lk=on}}.
|-
|[[Iran]]
|[[Islamic Republic of Iran Railways]]
|{{convert|12998|km|mi|0|abbr=on}}
|-
|[[Iraq]]
|[[Iraqi Republic Railways]]
|{{convert|485|km|mi|0|abbr=on}}
|-
|Ireland
|[[Transport Infrastructure Ireland]]
|[[Luas]] in [[Dublin]]
|-
|[[Israel]]
|{{plainlist|
*[[Israel Railways]]
*[[Jerusalem Light Rail]]
*[[Tel Aviv Light Rail]]
}}
|
|-
|[[Italy]]
|[[Ferrovie dello Stato]]
|{{convert|16723|km|mi|0|abbr=on}}
|-
|[[Japan]]
|[[Shinkansen]], [[JR Hokkaido]] [[Naebo Works]] (see [[Train on Train]]), [[Sendai Subway]] ([[Sendai Subway Tozai Line|Tozai Line]]), [[Tokyo Metro]] ([[Ginza Line|Ginza]] and [[Marunouchi Line|Marunouchi]] lines), [[Toei Subway]] ([[Asakusa Line|Asakusa]] and [[Oedo Line|Oedo]] lines), [[Yokohama Municipal Subway]] ([[Yokohama Municipal Subway Blue Line|Blue]] and [[Yokohama Municipal Subway Green Line|Green]] lines), [[Nagoya Municipal Subway]] ([[Higashiyama Line|Higashiyama]], [[Meijō Line|Meijō]], and [[Meikō Line|Meikō]] lines), [[Kyoto Municipal Subway]], [[Osaka Metro]], [[Kobe Municipal Subway]], [[Fukuoka City Subway]] ([[Nanakuma Line]]), [[Keisei Electric Railway]] (including [[Hokusō Line|Hokusō]] and [[Shin-Keisei Line|Shin-Keisei]] lines), [[Keikyu|Keikyu Line]], [[Kintetsu Railway]] ([[Kintetsu Osaka Line|Osaka]], [[Kintetsu Nara Line|Nara]], [[Kintetsu Nagoya Line|Nagoya]], [[Kintetsu Yamada Line|Yamada]], [[Kintetsu Kyoto Line|Kyoto]], and [[Kintetsu Keihanna Line|Keihanna]] lines and their associated branches), [[Keihan Railway]], [[Hankyu Railway]], [[Kita-Osaka Kyuko Railway]], [[Nose Electric Railway]], [[Hanshin Railway]], [[Sanyo Electric Railway]], [[Takamatsu-Kotohira Electric Railroad]] (Kotoden), [[Nishi-Nippon Railroad]] ([[Nishitetsu Tenjin Ōmuta Line|Tenjin Ōmuta]], [[Dazaifu Line|Dazaifu]] and [[Nishitetsu Amagi Line|Amagi]] lines)
|{{convert|4251|km|mi|abbr=on}}, all electrified
|-
| [[Kenya]]
| [[Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway]]
| {{convert|485|km|mi|0|abbr=on}} Inaugurated 31 May 2017. An extension from [[Nairobi]] to [[Naivasha]] is under construction. A further extension east to the [[Uganda]]n border is planned.
|-
|[[Kosovo]]
|[[Trainkos]]
|{{convert|437|km|mi|0|abbr=on}}<ref>{{Citation |title=Kosovo |date=2024-12-12 |work=The World Factbook |url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/kosovo/#transportation |access-date=2024-12-24 |publisher=Central Intelligence Agency |language=en}}</ref>
|-
| [[Laos]]
| [[Boten–Vientiane railway]]
| {{convert|414|km|mi|0|abbr=on}}, Formally opened on 3 December 2021.
|-
|[[Latvia]]
|[[Rail Baltica]]
|Standard-gauge Rail Baltica railway is under construction and is scheduled to be completed by 2030.
|-
|[[Lebanon]]
|
|All lines out of service and essentially dismantled
|-
|[[Libya]]
|Network under construction
|
|-
|[[Lithuania]]
| [[Rail Baltica]]
| First phase, from [[Kaunas]] to the Polish border, completed in 2015. The second phase, from Kaunas north to Tallinn and from Kaunas to Vilnius, is in the design and construction phase and scheduled to be completed by 2030.
|-
|[[Luxembourg]]
|[[Société Nationale des Chemins de Fer Luxembourgeois]]
|
|-
|[[Malaysia]]
|{{plainlist|
*[[RapidKL]] ({{rint|my|3}} [[Ampang Line]], {{rint|my|4}} [[Sri Petaling Line]], {{rint|my|5}} [[Kelana Jaya Line]], {{rint|my|9}} [[Kajang line|MRT Kajang Line]], {{rint|my|11}} [[Shah Alam Line]], {{rint|my|12}} [[MRT Putrajaya Line]])
*[[Express Rail Link]] ({{rint|my|6}} [[KLIA Express]] and {{rint|my|7}} [[KLIA Transit]])
*{{rint|my|ECR}} [[MRL East Coast Rail Link]] (under construction)
*{{rint|my|hsr}} [[Kuala Lumpur–Singapore High Speed Rail]] (planned)
}}
|{{convert|998|km|mi|abbr=on}}
|-
|Mexico<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.mexlist.com| title=Mexlist| year=2007| access-date=29 November 2007}}</ref>
|{{Further|List of Mexican railroads}}
|{{convert|24,740|km|mi|abbr=on}}
|-
|[[Monaco]]
|
|
|-
|[[Montenegro]]
|[[Željeznice Crne Gore]]
|3
|-
|[[Morocco]]
| [[Rail transport in Morocco]]
|{{convert|2067|km|mi|abbr=on}}
|-
|[[Nepal]]
|[[Nepal Railways]] (all tracks except cross-border tracks with India are standard gauge) 
|Under-construction
|-
| [[Netherlands]]
| [[Nederlandse Spoorwegen]] and regional railways.
|
|-
| [[Nigeria]]
| [[Lagos–Kano Standard Gauge Railway]]; [[Lagos Rail Mass Transit]]
| Under construction; Abuja to Kaduna section operational.
|-
| [[North Korea]]
| [[Rail transport in North Korea#Railways|Railways of the DPRK]].
|
|-
|[[North Macedonia]]
|[[Macedonian Railways]]
|
|-
|Norway
|[[Norwegian National Rail Administration]], [[Rail transport in Norway]]
|{{convert|4087|km|mi|abbr=on}}
|-
|[[Pakistan]]
|To be used only for the rapid transit system, [[Lahore Metro]]<ref>{{cite web |title=SECTION - 3 DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT|url=http://epd.punjab.gov.pk/system/files/Section-3-Project%20Description.pdf|website=EIA of Construction of Lahore Orange Line Metro Train Project (Ali Town –Dera Gujran) |publisher=Environmental Protection Department |access-date=25 January 2017}}</ref>
|Pakistan's nationwide rail system ([[Pakistan Railways]]) uses {{Track gauge|1676mm|lk=on}} broad gauge. Any future additions to this system would also be in broad gauge.
|-
|[[Panama]]
|[[Panama Railway]]; [[Panama Metro]]
| Regauged from {{Track gauge|5 ft}} in 2001
|-
|[[Paraguay]]
|Ferrocarril Presidente Don Carlos Antonio López, now [[Ferrocarril de Paraguay S.A.]] (FEPASA)
|36&nbsp;km out of Asunción (used as a tourist steam line), plus 5&nbsp;km from Encarnación to the border with Argentina, carrying mainly exported soy; the rest of the 441-km line awaits its fate, while redevelopment plans come and go with regularity. The section from west of Encarnación to north of San Salvador, plus the entire San Salvador–Abaí branch, have been dismantled by the railway itself and sold for scrap to raise funds.
|-
|[[Peru]]
|[[Ferrocarril Huancayo – Huancavelica|Railway Development Corporation]],<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.rrdc.com/op_peru_fcca.html| title=Ferrocarril Central Andino| website=Railroad Development Corporation| year=2007| access-date=29 November 2007}}</ref> Ferrocarril Central Andino (Callao–Lima–La Oroya–Huancayo and La Oroya–Cerro del Pasco lines), [[Ferrocarril del sur de Peru]] (operated by Peru Rail) Matarani–[[Arequipa]]–[[Puno]] and Puno–Cuzco, Ilo–Moquegua mining railway, Tacna–Arica (Chile) international line, (operated by Tacna Province), Lima electric suburban railway
|{{convert|1603|km|mi|0|abbr=on}}
|-
|rowspan="2"|[[Philippines]]
|Operational: [[LRT Line 1 (Metro Manila)|LRT 1]], [[LRT Line 2|LRT 2]], and [[MRT Line 3 (Metro Manila)|MRT 3]]. Under construction: [[MRT Line 7|MRT 7]], [[MRT Line 4 (Metro Manila)|MRT 4]], [[LRT Line 1 (Metro Manila)|LRT 1 South/Cavite Extension]], [[Metro Manila Subway|MMS]], [[PNR South Long Haul|PNR SLH]], [[North–South Commuter Railway|PNR NSCR]], and [[Mindanao Railway|Mindanao Railway Phase 1]]. All current as of March 2022.
|{{Convert|54.15|km|mi|abbr=on}} operational, {{Convert|899.6|km|mi|abbr=on}} under construction, all electrified as of March 2022.
|-
|[[Philippine National Railways]] network, future LRT and MRT Lines (proposed)
|{{circa}} {{Convert|4,600|km|mi|abbr=on}}, {{Convert|1,159|km|mi|abbr=on}} will be electrified.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.railwaypro.com/wp/philippines-approves-standard-gauge-for-all-new-lines/ |title=Philippines approves standard gauge for all new lines |date=10 August 2016 |access-date=12 July 2020}}</ref>{{efn|For the Philippine National Railways, {{Convert|2278|km|abbr=on}} for the Mindanao Railway, {{Convert|296|km|abbr=on}} for the [[North–South Commuter Railway]] (NSCR),<ref name="pia">{{Cite news |title=Biz sector calls on gov't. to prioritize Mindanao railway system |url=https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1015160 |work=Philippine Information Agency |date=27 November 2018 |accessdate=20 April 2021}}</ref> {{Convert|298|km|abbr=on}} for NSCR extensions,<ref>{{cite news|last=Dela Paz|first=Chrisee|date=13 September 2017 |title=NEDA Board approves Metro Manila Subway |website=Rappler |url=https://www.rappler.com/business/181950-neda-board-approval-metro-manila-subway-pnr-railways |access-date=14 September 2017}}</ref> {{Convert|92|km|abbr=on}} for the Northeast Commuter Line to [[Cabanatuan]],<ref>{{Cite report |title=Technical Report No. 3: Urban / Transportation Development Condition in Adjoining Areas |work=Metro Manila Urban Transportation Integration Study |url=https://openjicareport.jica.go.jp/pdf/11580495_03.pdf |publisher=[[Japan International Cooperation Agency]] |accessdate=21 April 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |first=Joann |last=Villanueva |title=PNR asks for feasibility of Cabanatuan-Makati line |url=https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1059754 |website=Philippine News Agency |date=22 January 2019 |access-date=2 August 2020}}</ref> {{Convert|581 to 639|km|abbr=on}} for the South Main Line rehabilitation, {{Convert|71|km|abbr=on}} for the Subic–Clark Railway, {{Convert|244|km|abbr=on}} for the [[San Jose, Nueva Ecija|San Jose]]–[[Tuguegarao]] line,<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1036596 |title=CEZA pursuing expressway, railway projects in Cagayan |website=Philippine News Agency |accessdate=28 June 2020}}</ref> and {{Convert|175|km|mi|abbr=on}} for the Tarlac–San Fernando line.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bidding Documents – Preliminary Works for the Subic–Clark Railway Project |url=https://www.bcda.gov.ph/sites/default/files/Bidding%20Documents_Advance%20Preliminary%20Works%20of%20Subic-Clark%20Railway%20Project(Part2).pdf |agency=[[Bases Conversion and Development Authority]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200626171237/https://www.bcda.gov.ph/sites/default/files/Bidding%20Documents_Advance%20Preliminary%20Works%20of%20Subic-Clark%20Railway%20Project(Part2).pdf |archive-date=26 June 2020 |accessdate=21 April 2021}}</ref> Proposed MRT lines have a total length of {{Convert|370|km|abbr=on}}, discounting the Monorail [[MRT Line 4 (Metro Manila)|Line 4]]. [[LRT Line 1 (Metro Manila)|LRT Line 1]] extension is {{Convert|26|km|abbr=on}},<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/money/companies/659246/tugade-says-lrt1-cavite-extension-to-be-completed-in-2021/story/ |title=Tugade says LRT1 Cavite extension to be completed in 2021 |last=Cordero |first=Ted |date=4 July 2018 |work=GMA News Online |access-date=8 July 2018 |language=en-US}}</ref> while LRT Line 6's total proposed track length is {{Convert|169|km|mi|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Project Description for Scoping (Line 6A and 6B/C) |url=http://eia.emb.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/LRT-Line-6-PD-for-Scoping.v2.pdf |website=Environmental Management Bureau, [[Department of Environment and Natural Resources]] |date=31 January 2019 |accessdate=18 February 2021}}</ref> All figures mentioned denote track length, not line or system length.}}
|-
|Poland
|[[Polish State Railways|Polskie Koleje Państwowe]], [[Warsaw Metro]], most [[tram]]way systems throughout the country
|
|-
|Portugal
|[[Braga]] and [[Porto]] (''Guindais'') [[funicular]]s, [[Lisbon Metro]], [[Metro do Porto|Porto Metro]] (partly adapted from former {{Track gauge|1000mm|allk=on}}; tracks), [[Metro Transportes do Sul]] [[light rail]] in [[Almada]].
|All other railways use {{Track gauge|1,668mm|lk=on}} ([[broad gauge]]); some use {{Track gauge|1000mm|allk=on}}; [[Decauville]] uses {{Track gauge|500mm|lk=on}} gauge.
Planned and under construction high-speed railways to use {{Track gauge|1,668mm|lk=on}} to maintain interoperability with the rest of the network.
|-
|[[Romania]]
|{{plainlist|
*[[Căile Ferate Române]]
* [[Bucharest Metro]]
*[[Tram]] systems in [[Botoșani]], [[Brăila]], [[Bucharest]], [[Cluj-Napoca]], [[Craiova]], [[Galați]], [[Ploiești]] and [[Timișoara]]
}}
|
|-
|[[Russia]]
|[[Rostov-on-Don]] tramway, lines connecting [[Kaliningrad]] with Poland
|
|-
|Rwanda
|[[Isaka–Kigali Standard Gauge Railway]]
|{{convert|150|km|mi|abbr=on}} New railway between [[Kigali]] and the [[Tanzania]]n town of [[Isaka]] is planned.
|-
|[[Saudi Arabia]]
|[[Rail transport in Saudi Arabia]]
|
|-
| [[Senegal]]
|{{plainlist|
* [[Train Express Regional Dakar-AIBD]]
* Senegal–Gambia Railway (planned)
* Senegal–Guinea Bissau Railway (planned)
}}
|
|-
|[[Serbia]]
|[[Serbian Railways]]
|
|-
|[[Singapore]]
|[[Mass Rapid Transit (Singapore)|Mass Rapid Transit]]
| {{convert|203|km|mi|0|abbr=on}}
|-
|[[Slovakia]]
|[[Železnice Slovenskej republiky]], [[Public Transport in Košice#Trams|Košice tramway]] system
|
|-
|[[Slovenia]]
|[[Slovenske železnice]]
|
|-
|[[South Africa]]
|[[Gautrain]] in [[Gauteng Province]]. Rest of country uses {{Track gauge|1067mm|lk=on}}
|{{convert|80|km|mi|0|abbr=on}}
|-
|[[South Korea]]
|[[Korea Rail Network Authority|KRNA]]
|
|-
|Spain
|[[AVE]] [[high-speed rail]] lines from Madrid to Seville, Málaga, Alicante, Saragossa, Barcelona (-Perthus), Orense, Toledo, Huesca, León and Valladolid, [[Barcelona Metro]] ([[Barcelona metro line 2|L2]], [[Barcelona metro line 3|L3]], [[Barcelona metro line 4|L4]], and [[Barcelona metro line 5|L5]] lines), Barcelona FGC ([[List of FGC lines|lines]] [[Barcelona metro line 6|L6]] and [[Barcelona metro line 7|L7]]), and Metro Vallès (lines [[FGC line S1|S1]], [[FGC line S2|S2]], [[FGC line S5|S5]], and [[FGC line S55|S55]])

All other railways use {{Track gauge|1,668mm|lk=on}} ([[broad gauge]]) and/or {{Track gauge|1000mm|allk=on}}.
|{{convert|3622|km|mi|0|abbr=on}}
|-
|Sweden
|[[Swedish Transport Administration]], [[Storstockholms Lokaltrafik]] ([[Stockholm metro]], commuter and [[Trams in Stockholm|light rail lines]]), tram networks in [[Gothenburg tram network|Gothenburg]], [[Lund tramway|Lund]] and [[Trams in Norrköping|Norrköping]]
|
|-
|Switzerland
|[[Swiss Federal Railways]], 
[[BLS AG|BLS]], 
[[Rigi Railways]] (rack railway)
|SFR 3,134&nbsp;km in standard gauge and 98&nbsp;km metre gauge<ref name=infra>{{cite web |url=https://reporting.sbb.ch/en/infrastructures |title=Infrastructures |website=SBB/CFF/FFS |date=2018 |access-date=2019-07-21}}</ref>
449&nbsp;km{{clarify|reason=this figure has no context, what does it mean?|date=February 2021}}
|-
|[[Syria]]
|[[Chemins de Fer Syriens]]
|{{convert|2052|km|mi|0|abbr=on}}
|-
|[[Taiwan]]
|{{plainlist|
*[[Taiwan High Speed Rail]]
*[[Taipei Rapid Transit System]], [[Kaohsiung Mass Rapid Transit]], [[Taoyuan Airport MRT]] and [[Taichung Metro]]
*Kaohsiung [[Circular light rail]] and [[Danhai light rail]]
}}
|{{convert|604.64|km|mi|0|abbr=on}}
|-
|[[Tanzania]]
|[[Tanzania Standard Gauge Railway]]
|{{convert|300|km|mi|0|abbr=on}} line from Dar es Salaam to Morogoro has been completed in April 2022 currently in live testing phase.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Mwanzo {{!}} TRC |url=https://www.trc.co.tz/news/majaribio-ya-mifumo-ya-umeme-katika-reli-ya-kisasa-sgr-dar-moro-yaanza-rasmi |access-date=2023-03-08 |website=www.trc.co.tz}}</ref> Contract awarded in 2019 for a {{convert|422|km|mi|0|abbr=on}} extension from Morogoro to Makutupora.
|-
|[[Thailand]]
|{{plainlist|
*[[BTS Skytrain]], [[MRT (Bangkok)|MRT]], and [[Suvarnabhumi Airport Link]]
*The [[State Railway of Thailand]] uses {{Track gauge|1000 mm|lk=on}}.
}}
|{{convert|80|km|mi|0|abbr=on}}
|-
|[[Tunisia]]
|Northern part of the network
|{{convert|471|km|mi|abbr=on}}
|-
|Turkey
|[[Turkish State Railways]] (also operates [[Marmaray]]), metro networks, and tram networks
|Some tram networks use {{Track gauge|1000mm|allk=on}}. {{Further|Rail transport in Turkey}}
|-
|[[Uganda]]
|[[Uganda Standard Gauge Railway]]
|Railway line from [[Kampala]] to the Kenyan border is planned.
|-
|[[United Arab Emirates]]
|[[Rail transport in the United Arab Emirates]]
|
|-
|United Kingdom (Great Britain)
|Entire [[Network Rail|rail network]] in Great Britain (but not Ireland) since standardisation by the [[Regulating the Gauge of Railways Act 1846]]
|Also used on all metro and tramway systems with the exception of the self-contained [[Glasgow Subway]], which is {{track gauge|4ft}}.
|-
|[[United States]]
|{{plainlist|
*[[Rail transportation in the United States|Modern national railroad network]]; ''see'' [[Track gauge in the United States#Towards standardization|Track gauge in the United States]]
*The [[Washington Metro]] uses {{Track gauge|56.25in|lk=on}} gauge, which is {{convert|6|mm|2|abbr=on}} narrower than standard gauge.
*The [[Bay Area Rapid Transit]] system uses {{Track gauge|5ft6in|lk=on}}.
*The [[San Francisco cable car system]] uses {{Track gauge|3ft6in|lk=on}}.
}}
|{{convert|129774|km|mi|abbr=on}}
|-
|[[Uruguay]]
|[[Rail transport in Uruguay|National rail network]]
|{{convert|2900|km|mi|abbr=on}}
|-
|[[Vietnam]]
|{{plainlist|
*North of [[Hanoi]]<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.vr.com.vn/english/hientaihoatdong.html| title=Railway Infrastructure| website=Vietnam Railways| year=2005| access-date=29 November 2007| url-status=dead| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100418132723/http://www.vr.com.vn/english/hientaihoatdong.html| archive-date=18 April 2010| df=dmy-all}}</ref>
*[[Hanoi Metro]]
*[[Ho Chi Minh City Metro]]
}}
|{{convert|178|km|mi|abbr=on}}. Includes dual gauge (standard/metre) to the Chinese border.
|}

==Non-rail use==

Several states in the United States had laws requiring road vehicles to have a consistent [[Axle track|gauge]] to allow them to follow ruts in the road. Those gauges were similar to railway standard gauge.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article5839798 |title=The Narrow-Gauge Question |work=The Argus |location=Melbourne |via=Trove.nla.gov.au |date=2 October 1872 |access-date=14 April 2012}}</ref><!-- This link appears to be irrelevant -->

==See also==
{{Portal|Trains}}
* [[Standard Gauge (toy trains)]]
* {{section link|List of track gauges#Standard gauge}}
* [[List of tram systems by gauge and electrification]]
* [[Loading gauge]], the maximum height and width of railway vehicles
* [[Railway Regulation (Gauge) Act 1846]]
* [[Structure gauge]], the extent that bridges, tunnels and other infrastructure can encroach on rail vehicles
* [[Track gauge]]
* ''[[89mm from Europe]]'' a 1993 film about how one jurisdiction addresses the difference in gauge between another
* [[Narrow-gauge railway]]
* [[Broad-gauge railway]]

==Notes==
{{Reflist|group=lower-alpha}}

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==Bibliography==
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite book|last=Allen|first=Geoffrey Freeman|title=Jane's World Railways, 1987–88|publisher=Jane's Information |year=1987 |isbn=978-0-71060848-2}}
* {{cite book|last=Baxter|first=Bertran|year=1966|title=Stone Blocks and Iron Rails (Tramroads)|series=Industrial Archaeology of the British Isles|location=Newton Abbot |publisher=[[David & Charles]] |isbn=978-0-715340-04-2 |oclc=643482298}}
* {{cite book|title=The Rocket Men|first=Robin|last=Jones |year=2013|publisher=Mortons Media |isbn=978-1-90912827-9}}
* {{cite book|title=Brunel in South Wales|first=Stephen K |last=Jones|volume=II: Communications and Coal|year=2009 |publisher=The History Press|location=Stroud |isbn=978-0-75244912-8 |pages=64–65}}
* {{cite journal |last1=Ogata |first1=Masanori |last2=Tsutsumi |first2=Ichiro |date=2006 |title=Origin of the world's standard gauge of railway is in the interval of wheel ruts of ancient carriages |url=https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jsmeicbtt/2006.3/0/2006.3_98/_pdf/-char/en |journal=The International Conference on Business & Technology Transfer |volume=2006 |issue=3 |pages=98–103 |doi=10.1299/jsmeicbtt.2006.3.0_98 |access-date=23 June 2020|doi-access=free }}
* {{cite book|last1=Pomeranz|first1=Kenneth|first2=Steven |last2=Topik|year=1999|title=The World that Trade Created: Society, Culture, and World Economy, 1400 to the Present |publisher=M.E. Sharpe|location=Armonk, [[New York (state)|NY]] |isbn=978-0-7656-0250-3}}
* {{cite book|last=Puffert|first=Douglas J |title=Tracks across Continents, Paths through History: The Economic Dynamics of Standardization in Railway Gauge|publisher=University of Chicago Press|year=2009|isbn=978-0-226-68509-0}}
* {{cite book|first=João Bosco|last=Setti|title=Brazilian Railroads |year=2008|location=Rio de Janeiro |publisher=Memória do Trem|isbn=978-85-8609409-5 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=naDdBL0NZSUC&pg=PA25|via=Google Books}}
* {{cite book|last=Vaughan|first=A.|year=1997|title=Railwaymen, Politics and Money|location=London|publisher=John Murray|isbn=978-0-7195-5150-5|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/railwaymenpoliti0000vaug}}
* {{cite book|last=Whishaw|first=Francis|author-link=Francis Whishaw |orig-year=1842, John Weale |title=The Railways of Great Britain and Ireland: Practically Described and Illustrated |location=London |year=1969 |publisher=[[David & Charles]]; reprints: Newton Abbot |isbn=978-0-7153-4786-7 |ref={{SfnRef|Whishaw|1842}}}}
{{refend}}

==External links==
* {{cite news|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article13868834|title=The Sydney Morning Herald|newspaper=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]]|date=23 May 1892|access-date=14 August 2011|page=4|via=National Library of Australia}}, a discussion of gauge in Australia {{circa|1892}}
* {{cite news|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article62159153|title=Standard Railway Gauge|newspaper=[[Townsville Bulletin]]|date=5 October 1937|access-date=19 March 2014|page=12|via=National Library of Australia}}, a discussion of the Roman gauge origin theory.

{{Navbox track gauge}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Standard Gauge}}
[[Category:Track gauges by size]]
[[Category:Track gauges by name]]
[[Category:Standard-gauge railways| ]]