Track gauge in Europe - Misplaced Pages

(Redirected from Rail gauge in Europe) Railway Gauges

By transport mode

By size (list)



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

Further information: List of track gauges

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

Russian and 5 ft gauge
- 1,520 mm (4 ft 11+27⁄32 in): former Soviet Union states
- 1,524 mm (5 ft): Finland and Estonia
(The difference is within tolerance limits, so it is possible to exchange trains between 1520 mm and 1524 mm networks without changes to the wheelsets, however sometimes issues like stuck rolling stock might occur.)
Irish gauge
- 1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in): Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland
Iberian gauge
- 1,668 mm (5 ft 5+21⁄32 in): Portugal and Spain

Narrow gauge

Main article: Narrow-gauge railways in Europe

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.

References

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v t e 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

Track gauge in Europe

Sovereign states

States with limited
recognition

v t e Track gauge (list)
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 1,945 mm (6 ft 4+9⁄16 in), De Arend 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	List of track gauges List of tram track gauges Miniature railways Minimum-gauge railways Large amusement railways
Gauge differences	Bogie exchange Break of gauge Dual gauge Gauge conversion list Variable gauge
Transport mode	Tram and light rail Rapid transit Miniature Scale model
Categories	by country by imperial units by metric units by name lists of track gauges

Categories:

Broad gauge

Narrow gauge

High-speed rail

See also

References