What is the gauge of European railways?

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.



The vast majority of the European rail network uses the "Standard Gauge," which is exactly 1,435 mm (4 feet 8.5 inches) wide. This measurement is the international standard and allows high-speed trains like the Eurostar, TGV, and ICE to travel seamlessly between the UK, France, Germany, and most of Central Europe. However, there are significant "Broad Gauge" exceptions that travelers in 2026 should know: Spain and Portugal primarily use the "Iberian Gauge" (1,668 mm), and Finland, the Baltics, and Ukraine use the "Russian Gauge" (1,520 mm). To bridge these gaps, many modern European trains are equipped with "variable-gauge" wheelsets that can automatically adjust their width as the train rolls over a special "gauge-changer" track at the border. This engineering marvel ensures that despite the historical differences in track width, the goal of a "Unified European Railway Area" (SERA) is closer to reality, allowing for faster cross-border freight and passenger transit without the need to manually switch trains or axles.

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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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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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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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If locomotives were imported from elsewhere, especially in the early days, the track would be built to fit them. In some cases standard gauge was adopted, but many countries or companies chose a different gauge as their national gauge, either by governmental policy, or as a matter of individual choice.

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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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In 1970, the Soviet Union began a smooth change of the track gauge from 1,524 mm to 1,5200 mm. This process lasted over 20 years, until the early 1990s. Various official sources indicate that the aim for the change was to increase the stability of the railways when operating freight trains, increasing their speed.

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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.

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Since the chariots were made for or by Imperial Rome they were all alike in the matter of wheel spacing. Thus, we have the answer to the original question. The United States standard railroad gauge of 4 feet, 8.5 inches derives from the original specification for an Imperial Roman army war chariot.

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The Central Railway of Peru: The Highest Standard Gauge Railway in the World.

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Before the opening of the Qinghai–Tibet Railway in China, currently the highest in the world, the highest three railways were located in the Andean countries of Peru and Bolivia. In the Alps, the Jungfrau Railway has the particularity of reaching an elevation that is higher than the local snow line.

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Ukraine's railway network is in 1,520 mm gauge, which is prevalent in all post-Soviet countries, as well as in Russia.

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Finland uses 1524 mm (5') gauge since times when it was a part of the Russian Empire (1809–1917) and does not change it, rolling stock is cross-compatible with very minor limitations (Allegro trains between St.

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The three main railway gauges in Australia are narrow: 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in), standard: 1,435 mm ( 4 ft 8+1/2 in), and broad: 1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in). A slow progression towards unification to standard gauge has taken place since the 1930s.

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