Since the arrival of the train, millions of railway lines have been created around the world, by which passengers and all kinds of cargo are transported to different places.
The rail transport industry in all parts of the world has gone through a period of decline and now it is booming again. The rail network of any country includes passenger and cargo transportation, and the length of railway lines is one of the success criteria of this industry. Some countries in the world have made great progress in the development and management of railway lines and are working towards the qualitative and quantitative development of railway lines. A look at the list of the longest railway lines in the world shows that the big and powerful countries have the longest railway lines.
Familiar with the longest railway lines in the world:
11- Brazil
Length of railway lines: 28,500 km
Although Brazil’s rail network is not as large as Argentina, but it is the second largest rail network in South America. The Brazilian rail network has a good connection with regional networks such as the rail network of Uruguay, Bolivia and of course Argentina. Continental connections are important for Brazil’s rail network in that it plays an important role in freight transportation between major South American economies, especially in the agricultural sector.
The first railway in Brazil started its operation in 1984. Brazil’s rail network was actually nationalized in 1954 and then divided into several services that private and non-private operators took over in 2007. Brazil’s rail network is mostly focused on freight transportation. The country’s passenger rail services often focus on urban and rural areas. Also, eight Brazilian cities have metro systems, of which São Paulo is the largest.
In 2012, the Brazilian government began the construction of 10,000 kilometers of new rail lines for high-speed passenger and freight rail services, a project that will continue until 2024.
- France
Length of railway lines: 29,000 km
The second largest railway network in Europe is managed by the French national railway company and follows the rules of the European Union. Although all rail routes across Europe are subject to EU rules, and France is working on its rail connections with EU member states, its freight sector is still operating under rules from the 1980s. France was one of the first countries to implement high-speed rail technology in its country.
With 29,000 km, the French railway network is the second longest rail line in Europe and the ninth in the world. This rail network is mainly focused on passenger transportation and more than 50% of its lines are currently electric. SNCF is the most important railway operator in France. Currently, the country’s long-distance high-speed passenger services are known as “Train a Grande Vitesse” and standard long-distance passenger services are known as “Intercites”. At the same time, rail services that move passengers in short distances are also known as Transport Express Regional. The French rail network connects Italy, Belgium and the United Kingdom.
- South Africa
Length of railway lines: 31,000 km
Traveling to South Africa by train is a wonderful and dreamy choice.
The country has 31,000 km of railway tracks, of which 25,000 km are electric, and has a density of 1,742 people per track. The famous Blue Line Train, which has a distance of about 1600 kilometers between Cape Town and Johannesburg, is the most luxurious railway in the world and is considered a tourist attraction.
In South Africa, Rovos rail route is also very famous. This route is a good choice for a long and memorable trip. Rovos railway route covers a distance of 3,000 km between the countries of Namibia and South Africa and gives tourists the opportunity to see the unique tourist attractions of the southern African continent.
- Argentina
Length of railway lines: 36,000 km
The city of Buenos Aires is located in the center of Argentina’s 36,000 km long railway network. This network is considered one of the most complex and advanced rail networks in the world in terms of passenger and cargo, and ranks 15th in the world in terms of passenger traffic.
The interesting thing about Argentina’s railway network is that at the end of World War II, this country had one of the most extensive and efficient railway lines in the world with a length of 47,000 kilometers, but over time, with the increase in the construction of highways, the profitability of rail transportation decreased. And during the nationalization process of Argentina’s railway lines, today the length of these lines reaches 36,000 kilometers.
- Australia
Length of railway lines: 40,000 km
Freight transport makes up the bulk of Australia’s rail operations, and about 3,000 km of it is electrified.
Australia’s rail network ranks seventh among the longest rail lines in the world. Most of the infrastructure of this rail network is managed by the Australian government or the federal government. However, most of the trains in this rail network are operated by private companies. Aurizon, Genesee and Wyoming Australia and Pacific National are also important companies in this field. However, Australia’s rail network is still not equipped with high-speed trains and only has one high-speed rail network connecting Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne. Of course, the high-speed train plan is supposed to be implemented in 2035 at a cost of 114 billion dollars and in several stages.
- Germany
Length of railway lines: 41,000 km
Germany has freeways without speed limits and an extensive network of high-speed trains.
Germany’s rail network is 41,000 km long, including both private and public railways, and approximately 19,000 km are electric. The government operates a fast passenger service called the Intercity Express; But more than 150 private railway companies are also active in Germany. This country has highways without speed limits, as well as an extensive network of high-speed trains that serve more than 2 billion passengers a year.
The German rail transport company, Deutsche Bahn, which owns all the country’s rail routes, moves more than 415 million tons of cargo annually and controls 80% of the country’s total cargo traffic and 99% of the country’s passenger traffic. The company, which is known for its good efficiency, is recognized as an active rail operator at the European level that connecting other countries with its central location.
- Canada
Length of railway lines: 48,000 km
Only two countries in the world have a private railway system, and Canada is the first country whose railway system was privatized. Canada’s rail network is very similar to Australia’s, and This makes the main focus of the Canadian rail network on the freight sector. Canada’s rail network is 48,000 kilometers long, ranking as the fifth longest rail line in the world.
Canadian National Railway and Canadian Pacific Railway are two important rail operators that move cargo in the country. While the Via Rail company in Canada provides intercity passenger rail service. Alogma Central and Ontario Northland are also smaller companies that provide passenger access to certain rural areas in the country.
- India
Length of railway lines: 65,000 km
On average, more than 19,000 people travel on every kilometer of India’s railway network, which has made the country’s 65,000 km railway network the busiest railway network in the world. Despite this population density, India’s railway lines also move 921,000,000 tons of freight annually, thus covering not only domestic freight but also freight to Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal.
India’s national railway network is the fourth longest railway line in the world, which is owned and operated by the government of this country. According to the statistics of 2013, this railway network has moved nearly eight billion passengers and one billion goods, which is ranked first and fourth in the world, respectively. The Indian railway network is divided into 17 different regions, which includes more than 19,000 trains, including 12,000 passenger trains and 7,000 freight trains.
- China
Length of railway lines: 69,000 km
Manufacturing industries are the backbone of China and the railway network supports them as infrastructure.
China’s railway network is the third largest railway network in the world. In 2013, this busy network welcomed more than two billion passengers (the second busiest network in the world after India) and three billion tons of cargo (the second busiest network in the world after the United States). The huge investment to expand China’s rail network in recent years is the result of the need in this country to increase the cargo carrying capacity. This broad line is operated by the state-owned China Railway Company.
Rail transportation is the main mode of transportation in China, which consists of 10,000 high-speed rail lines. The Chinese government is trying to make the country’s total railway lines cross the border of 270,000 kilometers by 2050. The rapid expansion of China’s high-speed rail network in recent years has made it one of the largest rail networks in the world.
In the past two decades, the development of railway lines in China has been at a high speed; Because manufacturing industries are considered it as the backbone of this country and the railway network plays an essential role for the transportation of raw materials.
- Russia
Length of railway lines: 85,500 km
The Russian railway network became a marvel from the 19th century onwards and continues to lead the way. Due to the fact that the population of Russia is much smaller than that of China and the United States, Russian rail freight transport is carried out over much longer distances. This rail network is one of the world’s rail networks that is heavily influenced by the cargo transportation sector.
The 85,500 km long national railway network of Russia is owned by Russian Railways. The latest statistics show that the trains of this national railway network were able to move one billion passengers and 1.2 billion tons of cargo in 2013; This statistic ranks third in the amount of cargo moved in the world after the United States and China. Russia’s rail network has 12 main lines, many of which have direct connections to national rail systems in Asia and Europe such as Finland, France, Germany, Poland, China, Mongolia and North Korea.
- America
Length of railway lines: 250,000 km
The first place among the longest railway lines in the world belongs to the United States of America. The American rail network is 250,000 kilometers long, 80% of its route is dedicated to freight transportation, and 35,000 kilometers is dedicated to passenger transportation. The US freight rail network consists of 538 separate railroads, including seven Class I railroads, 21 regional railroads, and 510 local railroads.
Most of these railway lines are operated by private companies such as Union Pacific Railroad and BNSF; But the rail network that carries passengers in America is Amtrak, which connects 500 destinations in 46 states in more than 30 routes. In addition, a plan to build a 27,000-kilometer high-speed railway in four stages by 2030 is underway.
The US rail system was developed on the same principles as the Canadian rail system, and these two rail networks are the only networks on this list that have been privatized. The domestic routes of the US rail network pass through all its states, and for this reason, many trips across the country are made by train.
Experts believe that in the near future, no country will surpass America in terms of the length of the rail network; Because their distance in this ranking with America is very big. Despite this, rail transportation in the United States is under severe pressure from competition with other types of transportation; But the role of American rail transport in the supply chain of this country’s economy is so strong that it cannot be compared with the rail network of other countries in their economic chain.
Iran’s position in the list of the longest railway lines in the world
Length of railway lines: 13,000 km
Iran ranks 45th in the world in terms of electric railway lines
Iran’s railway lines are expanding and developing, so that with 13,000 kilometers of railways, Iran ranks 21st in the world in terms of the length of railway lines. Accordingly, if we measure the number of railway lines per capita (i.e., the length of railway lines per country), Iran has one kilometer of railway for every 148 square kilometers of land, and it ranks 81st according to the Essen index.
According to statistics, there is one kilometer of railway line for every 6,816 people in our country, which places Iran in the 76th place in the world.
The construction and development of railway lines in Iran is carried out by the country’s transport infrastructure construction and development company. The maintenance and repair as well as the operation of this network is the responsibility of the Islamic Republic of Iran Railway Company.
It is interesting to know that on the 25th of July in the year 2021, Iran’s National Railway, also known as the North-South Railway, was registered as the first industrial heritage and the 25th tangible work of Iran in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
With 13,000 kilometers of railway lines, Iran ranks 21st in the world in terms of the length of railway lines.
One of the reasons for the fame of Iran’s railway is that on the 25th of July 2021, Iran’s nationwide railway was registered as the first industrial heritage and the 25th tangible work of Iran in the UNESCO World Heritage List.