Metre-gauge railway

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Track gauge
By transport mode
By size (list)
Graphic list of track gauges
Minimum
  Fifteen inch 381 mm (15 in)
Narrow
 
  • 600 mm
  • 610 mm
  • (1 ft 11+5⁄8 in)
  • (2 ft)
 
  • 750 mm
  • 760 mm
  • 762 mm
  • (2 ft 5+1⁄2 in)
  • (2 ft 5+15⁄16 in)
  • (2 ft 6 in)
 
  • 891 mm
  • 900 mm
  • 914 mm
  • (2 ft 11+3⁄32 in)
  • (2 ft 11+7⁄16 in)
  • (3 ft)
  Metre 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in)
  Three foot six inch 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
  Four foot zero inch 1,219 mm (4 ft 0 in)
  Four foot six inch 1,372 mm (4 ft 6 in)
  Standard 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)
Broad
  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)
 
  • 1,520 mm
  • 1,524 mm
  • (4 ft 11+7⁄8 in)
  • (5 ft)
 
  • 1,581 mm
  • 1,588 mm
  • 1,600 mm
  • (5 ft 2+1⁄4 in)
  • (5 ft 2+1⁄2 in)
  • (5 ft 3 in)
  Baltimore gauge 1,638 mm (5 ft 4+1⁄2 in)
 
  • 1,668 mm
  • 1,676 mm
  • (5 ft 5+21⁄32 in)
  • (5 ft 6 in)
Change of gauge
By location
World map, rail gauge by region
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Metre-gauge railways are narrow-gauge railways with track gauge of 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) or 1 metre.[1]

The metre gauge is used in around 95,000 kilometres (59,000 mi) of tracks around the world. Historically it was utilized by European colonial powers such as the French, British and German empires. In Europe, large metre-gauge networks remain in use in Switzerland, northern Spain and in many European towns with urban trams, although most metre-gauge local railways in France, Germany and Belgium closed down in the mid-20th century. With the revival of urban rail transport, metre-gauge light metros were established in some cities, while in other cities metre gauge was replaced by standard gauge. A slightly wider 1,009 mm (3 ft 3+23⁄32 in) gauge is used in Sofia.

Examples of metre-gauge[]

Country/territory Railway
Argentina 11,080 km (6,880 mi)

Ferrocarril General Manuel Belgrano

Austria
Bangladesh 1,830 km (1,140 mi), out of which 365 km (227 mi) are dual gauge with 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) gauge
Belgium
  • Charleroi Light Metro (operating)
  • Antwerp Tram (operating)
  • Ghent Tram (operating)
  • Belgian Coast Tram (operating)
    • the latter three operated by De Lijn
Benin 578 km (359 mi)
Bolivia 3,600 km (2,200 mi)
Brazil

23,489 km (14,595 mi)

  • Mostly in cargo railways, including E.F Vitoria-Minas Passenger/Cargo Line and R.R. (operating)
  • Fortaleza Metro (operating)
  • Teresina Metro (operating)
Bulgaria 154 km (96 mi) of 1,009 mm (3 ft 3+23⁄32 in) gauge
  • Entire Sofia Tramway system, except for three lines that use standard gauge. (operating)
Burkina Faso
Burma 3,200 kilometres (2,000 mi) 160 kilometres (99 mi)
Cambodia 612 km (380 mi)
Cameroon 1,104 km (686 mi)
Chile 2,923 km (1,816 mi)
China
  • Kunhe Railway (formerly the Yunnan–Vietnam Railway) (operating).
Croatia
  • Zagreb Tramway (operating)
  • Osijek tram system (operating)
Czech Republic Like other Sudeten cities, the tram of Liberec used metre gauge in the past. The inner city lines however, have been rebuilt to standard gauge and the only line that still uses the metre gauge is the 13 km (8.1 mi) long Jablonec nad Nisou line connecting the city with Jablonec nad Nisou.
Democratic Republic of the Congo Several metre gauge railways
Denmark

A few local railways. Only one remains, but regauged to standard gauge.

  • (closed), Danish Tramway Museum.
Egypt
Finland
  • Helsinki tram (operating)
France Historically used in many local and regional railways, only a few of which remain today.
Germany
Greece The Piraeus, Athens and Peloponnese Railways used to be the largest metre-gauge network in Europe but are now largely abandoned. Only the suburban rail service of Patras, and the Olympia–Katakolo tourist railway still use the network.
India Nilgiri Mountain Railway (operating)
Iraq Mesopotamian Railways
Israel Sections of 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) railways, later converted to 1,050 mm (3 ft 5+11⁄32 in) or 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) gauge
Italy
Ivory Coast
Kenya
Laos A 3.5 km extension of the metre-gauge State Railway of Thailand network across the border into Laos
Latvia Liepāja tramway (operating)
Madagascar 875 km (544 mi). There are two unconnected systems operated by Madarail
Malaysia
Mali

641 km (398 mi) Dakar–Niger Railway

Malta Malta Railway
Morocco Several industrial railways in former Spanish Morocco
New Zealand Wellington Cable Car (operating)
Norway
Pakistan
Poland
Portugal Several mainly mountainous branch lines, mostly abandoned in the 1990s, never fully interconnected — connected to the REFER network by means of shared stations and some dual-gauge stretches. Metro de Mirandela and Vouga line remain in use. Other metric networks include (defunct in 1943), (defunct in 1980), and .
Puerto Rico Full network of Puerto Rican 1000mm railways in 1920: 654 km (406 mi)[2]
Romania
  • Arad tram (operating)
  • Iaşi tram (operating)
  • Sibiu tram (operating)
  • Was used in Galaţi tram until fully replaced by standard gauge in 1975.
Russia
  • Kaliningrad tramway (operating)
  • Pyatigorsk tramway (operating)
Senegal Dakar–Niger Railway – 1,287 km (800 mi)
Serbia Belgrade Tram (operating)
Singapore Singapore span of the Keretapi Tanah Melayu (Malayan Railway) for shuttle service.
Slovakia
Spain
Sweden Skansens bergbana (operating)
Switzerland Many narrow-gauge railways: suburban railways, mountain railways, rack railways, some long-distance railways and trams.
Tanzania Tanzania Railways Corporation – about 2,600 km (1,600 mi) (break of gauge with 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) TAZARA Railway)
Thailand State Railway of Thailand, 4,346 km (2,700 mi).
Togo 568 km (353 mi).
Tunisia 1,674 km (1,040 mi) used along with standard gauge (471 km (293 mi))
Turkey
Uganda Uganda Railway run by Uganda Railways Corporation
Ukraine
  • Lviv tram (operating)
  • Vinnytsia Tramway (operating)
  • (operating)
United Kingdom
United States
  • Sierra Lumber Company Railroad. A metre-gauge railway built in 1881 from Lyonsville, California into the redwood forests. It used three steam locomotives and worked until 1907.[5]
Vietnam Vietnam Railways and KunHe Railway

See also[]

  • Italian metre gauge
  • Narrow-gauge railways

References[]

  1. ^ Raja, K. "Complete information on Railway Gauges". Retrieved April 30, 2017.
  2. ^ «Los ferrocarriles de uso público en Puerto Rico (1870-1990)», Antonio Santamaría García (1994). Revista Complutense de Historia de América XX: pp. 207-228
  3. ^ Contexto histórico e inventario del ferrocarril en Puerto Rico, 1850-1953 - Primera parte: Trasfondo histórico
  4. ^ «Conservando una Romántica Tradición», Dave Deyo, Railroading, Number 43, Second Quarter (1972): pp. 6-18]
  5. ^ Brandon, Andrew. "The Sierra Lumber Company". Pacific Narrow Gauge.

External links[]

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