Track gauge in Europe

Railway Gauges
Track gauge
By transport mode
By size (list)
Graphic list of track gauges
  Minimum
  Fifteen inch 381 mm (15 in)
  Narrow
  600 mm 600 mm (1 ft 11+5⁄8 in)
Two foot 610 mm (2 ft)
Two foot three inch 686 mm (2 ft 3 in)
  750 mm 750 mm (2 ft 5+1⁄2 in)
Bosnian gauge 760 mm (2 ft 5+15⁄16 in)
Two foot six inch 762 mm (2 ft 6 in)
  Swedish three foot 891 mm (2 ft 11+3⁄32 in)
900 mm 900 mm (2 ft 11+7⁄16 in)
Three foot 914 mm (3 ft)
Italian metre 950 mm (3 ft1+13⁄32 in)
  Metre 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in)
  Three foot six inch 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
  Four foot 1,219 mm (4 ft)
  Four foot six inch 1,372 mm (4 ft 6 in)
  1432 mm 1,432 mm (4 ft 8+3⁄8 in)
  Standard 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)
  Broad
  Italian broad gauge 1,445 mm (4 ft 8+7⁄8 in)
Dresden gauge 1,450 mm (4 ft 9+3⁄32 in)
  Leipzig gauge 1,458 mm (4 ft 9+13⁄32 in)
  Toronto gauge 1,495 mm (4 ft 10+7⁄8 in)
  1520 mm 1,520 mm (4 ft 11+27⁄32 in)
Five foot 1,524 mm (5 ft)
  Pennsylvania gauge 1,581 mm (5 ft 2+1⁄4 in)
Pennsylvania gauge 1,588 mm (5 ft 2+1⁄2 in)
Five foot three inch 1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in)
  Baltimore gauge 1,638 mm (5 ft 4+1⁄2 in)
  Iberian gauge 1,668 mm (5 ft 5+21⁄32 in)
Five foot six inch 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in)
  Six foot 1,829 mm (6 ft)
  Brunel 2,140 mm (7 ft 1⁄4 in)
  Breitspurbahn 3,000 mm (9 ft 101⁄8 in)
Change of gauge
By location
World map, rail gauge by region

Most railways in Europe use the standard gauge of 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in). Some countries use broad gauge, of which there are three types. Narrow gauges are also in use.

Broad gauge

Narrow gauge

High-speed rail

Apart from Russia and Finland, all high-speed rail in Europe uses standard-gauge (1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)) tracks.

See also

  • iconTrains portal

References

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Track gauge in Europe
Sovereign states
  • Albania
  • Andorra
  • Armenia
  • Austria
  • Azerbaijan
  • Belarus
  • Belgium
  • Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • Bulgaria
  • Croatia
  • Cyprus
  • Czech Republic
  • Denmark
  • Estonia
  • Finland
  • France
  • Georgia
  • Germany
  • Greece
  • Hungary
  • Iceland
  • Ireland
  • Italy
  • Kazakhstan
  • Latvia
  • Liechtenstein
  • Lithuania
  • Luxembourg
  • Malta
  • Moldova
  • Monaco
  • Montenegro
  • Netherlands
  • North Macedonia
  • Norway
  • Poland
  • Portugal
  • Romania
  • Russia
  • San Marino
  • Serbia
  • Slovakia
  • Slovenia
  • Spain
  • Sweden
  • Switzerland
  • Turkey
  • Ukraine
  • United Kingdom
States with limited
recognition
  • Abkhazia
  • Kosovo
  • Northern Cyprus
  • South Ossetia
  • Transnistria
  • v
  • t
  • e
Minimum-gauge
Minimum-gauge railways
  • 15 in (381 mm)
  • 400 mm (15+3⁄4 in)
  • 16 in (406 mm)
  • 18 in (457 mm)
  • 19 in (483 mm)
  • 500 mm (19+3⁄4 in)
  • 20 in (508 mm)
  • 21 in (533 mm)
  • 1 ft 10 in (559 mm)
Narrow gauge
  • 2 foot and 600 mm
  • 2 ft 3 in (686 mm)
  • 750 mm (2 ft 5+1⁄2 in)
  • 760 mm (2 ft 5+15⁄16 in)
  • 2 ft 6 in (762 mm)
  • 800 mm (2 ft 7+1⁄2 in)
  • 891 mm (2 ft 11+3⁄32 in) Swedish three foot
  • 900 mm (2 ft 11+7⁄16 in)
  • 3 ft (914 mm)
  • 950 mm (3 ft 1+3⁄8 in) Italian metre gauge
  • 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) metre gauge
  • 1,050 mm (3 ft 5+11⁄32 in),
  • 1,055 mm (3 ft 5+1⁄2 in),
  • 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm)
  • 1,093 mm (3 ft 7 in),
  • 1,100 mm (3 ft 7+5⁄16 in),
  • 1,200 mm (3 ft 11+1⁄4 in)
  • 4 ft (1,219 mm)
  • 4 ft 1 in (1,245 mm), Middleton Railway
  • 4 ft 6 in (1,372 mm), Scotch gauge
  • 4 ft 6+1⁄2 in (1,384 mm), Scotch gauge
  • 4 ft 7+3⁄4 in (1,416 mm)
  • 4 ft 8 in (1,422 mm), almost standard gauge
  • 4 ft 8+1⁄4 in (1,429 mm)
  • 1,432 mm (4 ft 8+3⁄8 in)
Standard gauge
  • 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in / 1,435 mm, Stephenson gauge
Broad gauge
  • 1,440 mm (4 ft 8+11⁄16 in)
  • 1,445 mm (4 ft 8+7⁄8 in)
  • 1,450 mm (4 ft 9+3⁄32 in)
  • 4 ft 9+3⁄8 in (1,457 mm)
  • 1,458 mm (4 ft 9+13⁄32 in)
  • 4 ft 10+7⁄8 in (1,495 mm), Toronto gauge
  • 5 ft / 1,524 mm and 1,520 mm (4 ft 11+27⁄32 in), Russian gauge.
  • 5 ft 2+1⁄4 in / 1,581 mm and 5 ft 2+1⁄2 in / 1,588 mm, Pennsylvania gauge
  • 5 ft 3 in (1,600 mm), Irish gauge
  • 5 ft 4+1⁄2 in (1,638 mm), Baltimore gauge
  • 1,668 mm (5 ft 5+21⁄32 in), Iberian gauge
  • 5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm), Indian gauge
  • 7 ft 1⁄4 in (2,140 mm), Brunel gauge
  • 3,000 mm (9 ft 10+1⁄8 in), Breitspurbahn
  • 8,200 mm (26 ft 10+27⁄32 in), Lärchwandschrägaufzug
  • 9,000 mm (29 ft 6+5⁄16 in), Krasnoyarsk ship lift
List of track gauge articles
Gauge differences
Transport mode
Categories
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  • lists of track gauges