Metre-gauge railway
{{short description|Railway track gauge (1000 mm)}}
{{Sidebar track gauge}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2022}}
Metre-gauge railways (US: meter-gauge railways) are narrow-gauge railways with track gauge of {{Track gauge|1000mm}} or 1 metre.{{cite web|last1=Raja|first1=K|title=Complete information on Railway Gauges|url=http://www.preservearticles.com/2012020422668/complete-information-on-railway-gauges.html|access-date=April 30, 2017}}
Metre gauge is used in around {{convert|95000|km|mi}} of tracks around the world.{{cn|date=March 2024}} 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 {{Track gauge|1009mm}} gauge is used in Sofia, Bulgaria. Another similar gauge is {{TrackGauge|lk=on|3ft 6in}}.
__TOC__
{{clr}}
Examples of metre-gauge
| class=wikitable
!Country/territory !Railway |
| Argentina
|{{convert|11080|km|mi|abbr=on}} |
| Austria
|
|
| Bangladesh
|{{convert|1830|km|mi|abbr=on}}, out of which {{convert|365|km|mi|abbr=on}} are dual gauge with {{RailGauge|1676mm|lk=on}} gauge |
| Belgium
|
|
| Benin
| {{convert|578|km|mi|abbr=on}} |
| Bolivia
| {{convert|3600|km|mi|abbr=on}} |
| Brazil
| {{convert|23,489|km|mi|abbr=on}}
|
| Bulgaria
|{{convert|154|km|mi|abbr=on}} of {{Track gauge|1009mm}} gauge
|
| Burkina Faso
|
|
| Burma
|{{convert|3200|km|mi}} {{convert|160|km|mi}}
|
| Cambodia
|{{convert|612|km|mi|abbr=on}} |
| Cameroon
|{{Convert|1,104|km|mi|abbr=on}} |
| Chile
|{{convert|2923|km|abbr=on}} |
| 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{{Broken anchor|date=2025-01-20|bot=User:Cewbot/log/20201008/configuration|target_link=Narrow gauge railways in Denmark#Metre gauge railways|reason= The anchor (Metre gauge railways) has been deleted.}} 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 |
| Israel
|Sections of {{RailGauge|1000mm}} railways, later converted to {{RailGauge|1050mm}} or {{RailGauge|standard}} 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
|{{Convert|875|km|mi|abbr=on}}. There are two unconnected systems operated by Madarail |
| Malaysia
| |
| Mali
| {{convert|641|km|abbr=on}} |
| Malta |
| 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: {{convert|654|km|mi|abbr=on}}[https://revistas.ucm.es/index.php/RCHA/article/view/RCHA9494110207A/29232 «Los ferrocarriles de uso público en Puerto Rico (1870-1990)»], Antonio Santamaría García (1994). [http://revistas.ucm.es/index.php/RCHA/issue/view/RCHA949411/showToc Revista Complutense de Historia de América XX: pp. 207-228]
|
| Romania
|
|
| Russia
|
|
| Senegal
|Dakar–Niger Railway – {{convert|1287|km|abbr=on}} |
| 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 {{convert|2600|km|abbr=on}} (break of gauge with {{RailGauge|3ft6in}} TAZARA Railway) |
| Thailand
|State Railway of Thailand, {{convert|4346|km|mi|abbr=on}}. |
| Togo
|{{Convert|568|km|mi|abbr=on}}. |
| Tunisia
|{{convert|1674|km|abbr=on}} used along with standard gauge ({{convert|471|km|abbr=on}}) |
| Turkey
|
|
| Uganda
|
|
| Ukraine
|
|
| United Kingdom
|
|
| United States
|
|
| Vietnam |
See also
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://archive.today/20120713100348/http://parovoz.com/spravka/gauges-en.php Railroad Gauge Width]
{{Navbox track gauge}}