Metre-gauge railways (US: meter-gauge railways) are narrow-gauge railways with track gauge of 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) or 1 metre.[1]
Metre gauge is used in around 95,000 kilometres (59,000 mi) of tracks around the world.[citation needed] It was used by several European colonial powers including France, Britain and Germany in their colonies. In Europe, large metre-gauge networks remain in use in Switzerland, Spain and many European towns with urban trams, but most metre-gauge local railways in France, Germany and Belgium closed down in the mid-20th century, although some still remain. With the revival of urban rail transport, metre-gauge light metros were built in some cities. The slightly-wider 1,009 mm (3 ft 3+23⁄32 in) gauge is used in Sofia. Another similar gauge is 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm).
Examples of metre-gauge
edit| Country/territory | Railway |
|---|---|
| Argentina | 11,080 km (6,880 mi) |
| 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 |
|
| Benin | 578 km (359 mi) |
| Bolivia | 3,600 km (2,200 mi) |
| Brazil |
23,489 km (14,595 mi)
|
| Bulgaria | 154 km (96 mi) of 1,009 mm (3 ft 3+23⁄32 in) gauge
|
| 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 |
|
| Croatia |
|
| Czech Republic | Like other Sudeten cities, the trams of Liberec used metre gauge in the past. All lines however have been rebuilt to standard gauge. |
| Democratic Republic of the Congo | Several metre gauge railways |
| Denmark | See Metre gauge railways in Denmark and Narrow-gauge railways in Denmark. A few local railways. Only one remains, but regauged to standard gauge.
|
| Egypt |
|
| Finland |
|
| 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. |
| Hungary |
|
| 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 Funchal rack railway (defunct in 1943), Coimbra trams (defunct in 1980), and Sintra trams. |
| Puerto Rico | Full network of Puerto Rican 1000mm railways in 1920: 654 km (406 mi)[2]
|
| Romania |
|
| Russia |
|
| 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 |
|
| 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 |
|
| Ukraine |
|
| United Kingdom |
|
| United States |
|
| Vietnam | Vietnam Railways and KunHe Railway |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Raja, K. "Complete information on Railway Gauges". Retrieved April 30, 2017.
- ^ «Los ferrocarriles de uso público en Puerto Rico (1870-1990)», Antonio Santamaría García (1994). Revista Complutense de Historia de América XX: pp. 207-228
- ^ Contexto histórico e inventario del ferrocarril en Puerto Rico, 1850-1953 - Primera parte: Trasfondo histórico
- ^ «Conservando una Romántica Tradición», Dave Deyo, Railroading, Number 43, Second Quarter (1972): pp. 6-18]
- ^ Brandon, Andrew. "The Sierra Lumber Company". Pacific Narrow Gauge.