What gauge is Swiss rail?

The rail network of Switzerland is one of the densest and spectacular in the world. It covers a total length of 5063 km of lines with 3652 km on international gauge 1435 mm, 1312 km on metre gauge and 68.5 km of 800 mm or 750 mm gauge.



The Swiss rail network in 2026 utilizes a "blended" system, but the vast majority (approx. 75%) is Standard Gauge (1,435 mm / 4 ft 8½ in). This standard gauge allows for seamless connectivity with the national rail systems of Germany, France, Italy, and Austria. However, Switzerland is also famous for its extensive Metre Gauge (1,000 mm) network, which is used by many mountain railways like the Rhaetian Railway (RhB) and the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn. To bridge these two systems, Switzerland launched revolutionary gauge-changing trains (like the GoldenPass Express) in late 2022, which can adjust their wheelbases as they move between different track widths. While the high-speed and main-line corridors are standard, the metre-gauge tracks remain essential for navigating the steep gradients and tight curves of the Alps.

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MONTREUX, Switzerland — Concerns over excessive track wear have led the innovative Swiss Golden Pass Express trains that switch from meter gauge to standard gauge to be temporarily restricted to meter-gauge operations.

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Germany has rail links with the following countries. All are to countries of the same gauge (1435 mm), although electrification (15 kV AC 16.7 Hz) and other systems such as signalling may differ.

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The standard Russian railway gauge of 1,524 mm quickly spread throughout the Russian Empire, reached Warsaw, Vladivostok, Murmansk, and Baku.

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The “standard” track gauge in the UK and across much of the globe — approximately 55% of the world's railways use it — is set to 1435mm or four feet and 8.5 inches. But how did this number come about?

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Generally, the types of railway track gauges can be divided into the standard gauge, the narrow gauge, and the broad gauge. The most common gauge is standard gauge 1435mm (4 feet 8 1/2 inches). Gauges narrower than 1435mm are called narrow gauge while wider than 1435mm are called broad gauge.

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It mandated the track gauge with a width of 1435 mm to be the standard for Great Britain. At that time, the UK was the only one capable of exporting railway rolling stock. As a result, the vast majority of railways in Europe adopted the 1435mm gauge.

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Some places, it is true, use different track gauges (eg. Ireland, Iberia and Russia), but Britain uses just the same standard gauge tracks as are the norm in every country where TGV trains regularly operate. And Eurostar trains happily use just the same tracks as any other TGV.

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1. Switzerland. Tucked inside the small but incredibly beautiful country of Switzerland is one of the most efficient and scenic rail networks in the world.

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In fact, it is known as the “Iberian gauge”. This can be traced back to 1844, when a group of technicians stated that, due to the Spanish and Portuguese orography, the width of the inner sides of the tracks had to be increased.

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