United States: Rail lines (total route-km)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2021, United States' rail lines (total route-km) fell 0.1% on 2020 (from 148,750 to 148,553).

Across the 25 yearly changes before that (1996 to 2020), the average change was −1.1% and a typical year strayed about 4.3% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 1.7% in 2002 and the biggest yearly fall was 20.9% in 2012. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2012 to 2021 the straight-line trend is downward, about 636.45 a year. A straight line explains 96% of the movement over 10 observed years.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2021, United States had the 1st highest value of the 61 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to United States in the 2021 ranking

• China — 2nd of 61: 109,767
• Russian Federation — 3rd of 61: 85,544
• India — 4th of 61: 68,103

What this measures

The total length of rail line in the country operated for passenger transport, goods transport, or both.

Limitations: Data for transport sectors are not always internationally comparable. Unlike for demographic statistics, national income accounts, and international trade data, the collection of infrastructure data has not been "internationalized". The data from UIC is based on voluntary reporting by railway companies, and can show drastic increases or decreases for some of the years due to lack of reporting by some of the companies in that country.

All 27 values

More infrastructure data for United States

• Fixed telephone subscriptions — 81.55 million (2024)
• Fixed telephone subscriptions (per 100 people) — 23.61 (2024)
• ICT service exports (BoP, current US$) — US$101.73 billion (2025)
• ICT service exports (% of service exports, BoP) — 8.22% (2025)
• Air transport, registered carrier departures worldwide — 9.27 million (2023)
• Air transport, freight (million ton-km) — 42,763 (2023)
• Air transport, passengers carried — 941.56 million (2023)
• Mobile cellular subscriptions — 390.99 million (2024)
• Mobile cellular subscriptions (per 100 people) — 113.19 (2024)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

What is United States's rail lines (total route-km)?

148,553 in 2021, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1995?

It is down 26.2% from 201,284 in 1995 (1.16% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 203,875 in 1996 and the lowest 148,553 in 2021.

How does United States rank?

1st highest of 61 economies with data for 2021.

Is the latest change in rail lines (total route-km) unusual for United States?

In 2021, United States' rail lines (total route-km) fell 0.1% on 2020 (from 148,750 to 148,553). Across the 25 yearly changes before that (1996 to 2020), the average change was −1.1% and a typical year strayed about 4.3% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator IS.RRS.TOTL.KM, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Railisa Database, International Union of Railways (UIC), uri: https://uic-stats.uic.org/ Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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