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93-571: With about 225,000 km (140,000 mi) of track, 1,520 mm is the second-most common gauge in the world, after 1,435 mm ( 4 ft  8 + 1 ⁄ 2  in ) standard gauge . In 1748, the Wylam waggonway was built to a 5 ft ( 1,524 mm ) gauge for the shipment of coal from Wylam to Lemington down the River Tyne . In 1839, the Eastern Counties Railway

186-706: A cargo must be removed from cars anyway. An example of this is the East Broad Top Railroad in the US, which had a coal wash and preparation plant at its break of gauge in Mount Union, Pennsylvania . The coal was unloaded from narrow-gauge cars of the EBTR, and after processing was loaded into standard-gauge cars of the Pennsylvania Railroad . The line between Finland and Russia has a nominal break of gauge; Finnish gauge

279-628: A country (for example, 1,440 mm or 4 ft  8 + 11 ⁄ 16  in to 1,445 mm or 4 ft  8 + 7 ⁄ 8  in in France). The first tracks in Austria and in the Netherlands had other gauges ( 1,000 mm or 3 ft  3 + 3 ⁄ 8  in in Austria for the Donau Moldau line and 1,945 mm or 6 ft  4 + 9 ⁄ 16  in in

372-782: A few out of more than sixty tram systems in Russia are not broad gauge: 1,000 mm in Kaliningrad and Pyatigorsk , 1,435 mm ( 4 ft  8 + 1 ⁄ 2  in ) in Rostov-on-Don . There are two tram systems in and around Yevpatoria that use 1,000 mm ( 3 ft  3 + 3 ⁄ 8  in ) gauge. Finland's Helsinki trams and Latvia's Liepāja trams use 1,000 mm ( 3 ft  3 + 3 ⁄ 8  in ). Estonia's Tallinn trams use similar 1,067 mm ( 3 ft 6 in ). Warsaw's tramway system, constructed with 1525 mm gauge,

465-438: A gauge broader than standard gauge for military reasons, namely to prevent potential invaders from using the rail system. The Russian military recognized as early as 1841 that operations to disrupt railway track did not depend on the gauge, and should instead focus on destroying bridges and tunnels . However, in both World Wars the break of gauge did pose some amount of obstacle to the invading Germans. The 5-foot gauge became

558-687: A larger gauge could be viable for railways isolated from the extant 1,435 mm ( 4 ft  8 + 1 ⁄ 2  in ) gauge Western European network. In 1840, work started on the second railway in the Russian Empire , the Warsaw–Vienna railway in Congress Poland . It was a 1,435 mm ( 4 ft  8 + 1 ⁄ 2  in ) standard gauge , with the express intention of allowing through-freight trains into Austria-Hungary . The modern Russian railway network solidified around

651-573: A problem as Taiwan High Speed Rail generally uses separate rolling stock and its own separate railway, and at most locations runs on routes kilometres away from the conventional Taiwan Railways Administration railway network. In 1845, the South Australian newspaper mentioned the convening of a Royal Commission in Britain "inquiring whether, in future private acts of parliament for the construction of railways, provision ought to be made for securing

744-562: A route. Break of gauge was a common issue in the early days of railways, as standards had not yet been set and different organizations each used their own favored gauge on the lines they controlled—sometimes for mechanical and engineering reasons (optimizing for geography or particular types of load and rolling stock), and sometimes for commercial and competitive reasons (interoperability and non-interoperability within and between companies and alliances were often key strategic moves). Various solutions other than transloading were conceived even in

837-505: A standard gauge of 4 ft  8 + 1 ⁄ 2  in ( 1,435 mm ), and those in Ireland to a new standard gauge of 5 ft 3 in ( 1,600 mm ). In Great Britain, Stephenson's gauge was chosen on the grounds that existing lines of this gauge were eight times longer than those of the rival 7 ft or 2,134 mm (later 7 ft  1 ⁄ 4  in or 2,140 mm ) gauge adopted principally by

930-507: A standard-gauge line, there is technically a break of gauge. If the amount of traffic transferred between lines is small, this might be a small inconvenience only. In Austria and Switzerland there are numerous breaks-of-gauge between standard-gauge main lines and narrow-gauge railways. Many internal Swiss railways that operate in the more mountainous regions are 1,000 mm ( 3 ft  3 + 3 ⁄ 8  in ) metre gauge , and most are equipped with rack assistance to deal with

1023-544: A transporter train by trainload concept called " Train on Train " to carry narrow-gauge freight trains at faster speeds on standard-gauge flatcars. The Seikan Tunnel has been converted by JR Hokkaido to dual gauge to accommodate the Hokkaido Shinkansen . An experimental program for a variable gauge " Gauge Change Train " started in 1998 as a means to allow through services from high-speed standard-gauge Shinkansen lines to narrow-gauge regional lines. Its first deployment

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1116-408: A uniform gauge, and whether ... to bring the railways already constructed, or in progress ... into uniformity". It continued, "Since the colonists are now moving the question of railroads, we direct their special attention to the following. A uniform gauge will be of the utmost importance to the internal traffic of the province; and the time to determine the proper and most convenient width of the rail,

1209-546: A unique track gauge of 1,522 mm, falls between the Russian gauge ( 1,520 mm ) and broad gauge 1,524 mm . These gauges cannot make 3-rail dual gauge with Russian gauge. These gauges are within tolerance. Dual gauge between Russian gauge and another similar gauge can make these bonus gauges. Standard gauge A standard-gauge railway is a railway with a track gauge of 1,435 mm ( 4 ft  8 + 1 ⁄ 2  in ). The standard gauge

1302-501: Is 1,524 mm ( 5 ft ) whereas Russian gauge is 1,520 mm ( 4 ft  11 + 27 ⁄ 32  in ); the present Russian gauge is actually a redefinition of the older 1,524 mm ( 5 ft ). This does not usually prevent through-running - service running across both gauges exists in the form of the Allegro high-speed service between Helsinki and St. Petersburg. The nominal 4 mm (0.16 in) difference

1395-587: Is also called Stephenson gauge (after George Stephenson ), international gauge , UIC gauge , uniform gauge , normal gauge in Europe, and SGR in East Africa. It is the most widely used track gauge around the world, with about 55% of the lines in the world using it. All high-speed rail lines use standard gauge except those in Russia , Finland , Uzbekistan , and some line sections in Spain . The distance between

1488-546: Is at the commencement". South Australia and New South Wales then agreed to adopt the 4 ft  8 + 1 ⁄ 2  in ( 1,435 mm ) gauge: South Australia in 1847 and New South Wales in 1848. However, in 1850, New South Wales decided to change to 5 ft 3 in ( 1,600 mm ), or Irish gauge . The change was approved by the British government, and South Australia agreed to follow suit. However, in 1853, New South Wales unilaterally reverted to

1581-745: Is currently operated by the Ghana Railway Company Limited . Kojokrom-Sekondi Railway Line (The Kojokrom-Sekondi line is a branch line that joins the Western Railway Line at Kojokrom ) Indian nationwide rail system ( Indian Railways ) uses 1,676 mm ( 5 ft 6 in ) broad gauge. 96% of the broad gauge network is electrified. The railway tracks of Java and Sumatra use 1,067 mm ( 3 ft 6 in ). Planned and under construction high-speed railways to use 1,668 mm ( 5 ft  5 + 21 ⁄ 32  in ) to maintain interoperability with

1674-480: Is done with vehicles having a gauge within certain tolerances. Indian gauge , 1,676 mm ( 5 ft 6 in ), is also compatible with Iberian gauge, although there are no actual railway connections between the two. Despite this, old Spanish and Portuguese rolling stock have been reused in Argentina and Chile, both of which use Indian gauge. A nominal break of gauge with standard gauge exists as well: on

1767-539: Is expected to be replaced by 1,520 mm ( 4 ft  11 + 27 ⁄ 32  in ) rolling stock by 2020, thus eliminating the break of gauge between Sakhalin and the Russian mainland. Like Japan, rail transport in Taiwan uses the 3 ft 6 in ( 1,067 mm ) gauge for the majority of its railway network, but 1,435 mm ( 4 ft  8 + 1 ⁄ 2  in ) standard gauge for its high-speed rail; however, gauge differences are less of

1860-511: Is generally within operating tolerances and does not cause problems or delays. The Iberian gauge is actually three slightly different gauges: 1,672 mm ( 5 ft  5 + 13 ⁄ 16  in ) in Spain, 1,664 mm ( 5 ft  5 + 1 ⁄ 2  in ) in Portugal, and the newer, redefined 1,668 mm ( 5 ft  5 + 21 ⁄ 32  in ). Through-running

1953-504: Is on other railway's territory) and language. The structure gauge, loading gauge and axleload problems are solved by simply using the smaller options for through running. The general solution is often to custom-build vehicles to fit all the standards to be encountered. Trains can be built to accept four voltages, to have dual signaling systems equipment, etc. All of these solutions, however, usually result in either more expensive trains or less comfort for passengers (e.g. through less room inside

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2046-641: Is used in some places. Private railways often use other gauges. While most of the Japanese urban rail/metro lines use 1,067 mm ( 3 ft 6 in ) rail gauge, a considerable number of lines (including all lines of the Osaka Metro ) are still using their own different gauges including 762 mm ( 2 ft 6 in ), 1,372 mm ( 4 ft 6 in ), and 1,435 mm ( 4 ft  8 + 1 ⁄ 2  in ). In 2010, Hokkaido Railway Company (JR Hokkaido) started working on

2139-415: The 4 ft  8 + 1 ⁄ 2  in ( 1,435 mm ) gauge. South Australia and Victoria , the latter now separated from New South Wales, protested about the broken agreement, to no avail. Because they had already invested in broad-gauge track, locomotives and rolling stock, they continued construction. There followed years of nationally uncoordinated railway construction designed not to serve

2232-619: The Altynkol railway station near the border at Khorgos , two trains (the Chinese 1,435 mm or 4 ft  8 + 1 ⁄ 2  in standard gauge one and the Kazakh 1,520 mm or 4 ft  11 + 27 ⁄ 32  in one) are placed side by side at parallel tracks, while gantry cranes move the containers from one train to the other in as short a time as 47 minutes. Wherever there are narrow-gauge lines that connect with

2325-851: The Amberley Museum Railway . More rarely, standard-gauge vehicles are carried over narrow-gauge tracks using adaptor vehicles; examples include the Rollbocke transporter wagon arrangements in Germany, Austria, and the Czech Republic, and the milk transporter wagons of the Leek and Manifold Valley Light Railway in England. As of 2010 , Japan is developing the Train on Train piggyback concept. The internationally widespread use of standard intermodal containers since

2418-751: The Great Western Railway acquired one of the narrow-gauge lines in Blaenau Ffestiniog , it deployed a similar type of transporter wagon to allow continued use of the quarries' existing slate wagons. Transporter wagons are most commonly used to transport narrow-gauge stock along standard-gauge lines. At the Guinness brewery in Dublin there used to be 1 ft 10 in ( 559 mm ) internal narrow gauge and 5 ft 3 in ( 1,600 mm ) gauge (standard gauge for Ireland), and to avoid

2511-471: The Korea-Russia Friendship Bridge is dual gauged for standard gauge and Russian gauge. Originally the dual gauge may have reached as far as Khasan , but as of 2021 the standard gauge track has been taken up on the Russian side of the bridge. In the 20th century, railroads on the entire Sakhalin used the same 3 ft 6 in ( 1,067 mm ) narrow gauge as Japan, as part of it

2604-548: The Liverpool and Manchester Railway , authorised in 1826 and opened 30 September 1830. The extra half inch was not regarded at first as very significant, and some early trains ran on both gauges daily without compromising safety. The success of this project led to Stephenson and his son Robert being employed to engineer several other larger railway projects. Thus the 4 ft  8 + 1 ⁄ 2  in ( 1,435 mm ) gauge became widespread and dominant in Britain. Robert

2697-628: The Saint Petersburg–Moscow railway , built in 1842. There, the Tsar established a committee to recommend technical standards for the building of Russia's first major railway. The team included devotees of Franz Anton von Gerstner , who pushed to continue the Tsarskoye Selo gauge, and engineer Pavel Melnikov and his consultant George Washington Whistler , a prominent American railway engineer. Whistler recommended 5 ft ( 1,524 mm ) on

2790-644: The Southern United States adopted this gauge. The presence of several distinct gauges was a major disadvantage to the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War . In 1886, when around 11,500 miles (18,500 km) of 5 ft gauge track existed in the United States, almost all of the railroads using that gauge were converted to 4 ft 9 in ( 1,448 mm ),

2883-753: The Trans-Manchurian Railway (gauge changing at Zabaikalsk on the Russian side of the border), the Trans-Mongolian Railway and the Lanxin railway . The Yunnan–Vietnam Railway is narrow gauge, and is connected to standard-gauge tracks both in Kunming and in Hekou . The Nanning - Hanoi line is dual gauge in Vietnam as far as Hanoi. There is currently a break of gauge at Dostyk on the Kazakh border. Kazakhstan

5 ft and 1520 mm gauge railways - Misplaced Pages Continue

2976-471: The examples section below for a range of international examples of different types, including a break of gauge in Gloucester , which was the earliest significant break of gauge between the 1,435 mm ( 4 ft  8 + 1 ⁄ 2  in ) and 7 ft  1 ⁄ 4  in ( 2,140 mm ) systems, and the first break of gauge between Russian and standard gauge built in 1861 between

3069-568: The main Perth station , standard-gauge passenger trains terminate three stations short at East Perth . Three Russian broad-gauge lines reach out from Ukraine, one (the Uzhhorod–Košice line ) into Slovakia to carry minerals; another (the Metallurgy Line ) into Poland to carry heavy iron ore and steel products without the need for transshipment as would be the case if there were a break of gauge at

3162-571: The (5 ft) broad track gauge of 1,524 mm ( 5 ft ). However the railway systems were not connected until the bridge over the River Neva was built in 1913. Russian trains could not have run on Finnish tracks, because the Finnish loading gauge was narrower, until the connection was made and the Finnish structure gauge was widened. In the late 1960s the gauge was redefined to 1,520 mm ( 4 ft  11 + 27 ⁄ 32  in ) in

3255-545: The 1930s. Unlike in South Manchuria , the Soviet Union's reconquest of southern Sakhalin from Japan did not result in regauging of the railway system. Southern Sakhalin has continued with the original Japanese 1,067 mm ( 3 ft 6 in ) gauge simultaneously with the Russian gauge railway, constructed in the northern part of the island in 1930-1932 (Moskalvo-Okha). The railway has no fixed connection with

3348-457: The 1960s has made break of gauge less of a problem, since containers can be efficiently transferred from one mode or train to another by specialized cranes . Greater efficiency is achieved when the lengths of the wagons on each gauge are the same, so that the containers can be transferred from one train to the other with no longitudinal movement. The speed of the transfer depends, among other factors, on how many cranes can operate simultaneously at

3441-558: The 19th century, but is now almost entirely 1,435 mm ( 4 ft  8 + 1 ⁄ 2  in ) standard gauge. Narrow-gauge operations are generally confined to isolated rail systems, with a few notable exceptions. China has a standard-gauge network; neighbouring countries Mongolia , Russia and Kazakhstan use 1,520 mm ( 4 ft  11 + 27 ⁄ 32  in ) gauge, and Vietnam mostly uses 1,000 mm ( 3 ft  3 + 3 ⁄ 8  in ) ( metre gauge ), so there are some breaks of gauge. See

3534-889: The Great Western Railway. It allowed the broad-gauge companies in Great Britain to continue with their tracks and expand their networks within the "Limits of Deviation" and the exceptions defined in the Act. After an intervening period of mixed-gauge operation (tracks were laid with three rails), the Great Western Railway finally completed the conversion of its network to standard gauge in 1892. In North East England, some early lines in colliery ( coal mining ) areas were 4 ft 8 in ( 1,422 mm ), while in Scotland some early lines were 4 ft 6 in ( 1,372 mm ). The British gauges converged starting from 1846 as

3627-500: The Hong Kong MTR network, lines owned by MTR Corporation used 1,432 mm ( 4 ft  8 + 3 ⁄ 8  in ) before 2014. Newer lines and extensions use 1,435 mm ( 4 ft  8 + 1 ⁄ 2  in ) with nominal gauge break at Sheung Wan station and Yau Ma Tei station . 1,435 mm ( 4 ft  8 + 1 ⁄ 2  in ) is also employed on those owned by KCR Corporation , despite

3720-631: The Netherlands for the Hollandsche IJzeren Spoorweg-Maatschappij ), but for interoperability reasons (the first rail service between Paris and Berlin began in 1849, first Chaix timetable) Germany adopted standard gauges, as did most other European countries. The modern method of measuring rail gauge was agreed in the first Berne rail convention of 1886. Several lines were initially built as standard gauge but were later converted to another gauge for cost or for compatibility reasons. 2,295 km (1,426 mi) Victoria built

3813-413: The Russian mainland 1,520 mm ( 4 ft  11 + 27 ⁄ 32  in ) broad gauge. In 2003, the Russian government started to convert the entire network to dual gauge with 3 ft 6 in ( 1,067 mm ) and 1,520 mm ( 4 ft  11 + 27 ⁄ 32  in ). Work is 70% done as of 2016, and is expected to be complete by 2018. The entire island's rolling stock

5 ft and 1520 mm gauge railways - Misplaced Pages Continue

3906-471: The Soviet Union. At the same time the tolerances were tightened. As the running gear ( wheelsets ) of the rolling stock remained unaltered, the result was an increased speed and stability. The conversion took place between 1970 and the beginning of the 1990s. In Finland, the Finnish State Railways kept the original definition of 1,524 mm ( 5 ft ), even though they also have tightened

3999-579: The advantages of equipment interchange became increasingly apparent. By the 1890s, the entire network was converted to standard gauge. The Royal Commission made no comment about small lines narrower than standard gauge (to be called "narrow gauge"), such as the Ffestiniog Railway . Thus it permitted a future multiplicity of narrow gauges in the UK. It also made no comments about future gauges in British colonies, which allowed various gauges to be adopted across

4092-454: The apparent mysteriousness of this lack of implementation, but a likely explanation is that the combatants at the time were likely primarily interested in winning the Gauge War and setting a standard that benefited their commercial interests. The lack of a standardized gauge was a significant problem in transportation in the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War . See

4185-627: The basis that it was cheaper to construct than 6 ft ( 1,829 mm ) and cheaper to maintain than 1,435 mm ( 4 ft  8 + 1 ⁄ 2  in ). His advice won over the Tsar. At the time, questions of continuity with the European network did not arise. By the time difficulties arose in connecting the Prussian railroads to the Russian ones in Warsaw in the 1850s, it was too late to change. A persistent myth holds that Imperial Russia chose

4278-520: The border into otherwise standard-gauge New South Wales. Similarly, the standard-gauge line from Albury to Melbourne in 1962 which eliminated most transshipment at Albury, especially the need for passengers to change trains in the middle of the night. The standard-gauge outreach from Kalgoorlie to Perth partly replaced the original 3 ft 6 in ( 1,067 mm ) narrow-gauge line, and partly rebuilt that line with better curves and gradients as double-track dual gauge. Because of lack of space at

4371-406: The border stations of Eydtkuhnen (then East Prussia, now Russia) and Kybartai (then Russia, now Lithuania). Where trains encounter a different gauge, such as at the borders between Spain and France or between Russia and China, the traditional solution has been transloading ( often called transshipment in discussions of break of gauge ), that is, the transfer of passengers and freight to cars on

4464-691: The border. There were plans to extend the Slovak line to Vienna but these have been effectively killed by the Austrian government in 2021. The third one, from Polish-Ukrainian border to Przemyśl, is used for passenger connections to Lviv and Kiyv. In 1994, the Rail Baltica proposal emerged to build a 728 km (452 mi) north–south standard-gauge line to link European railways from Poland via Kaunas , Lithuania, and Riga , Latvia, to Tallinn , Estonia. The first stage, connecting Lithuanian-Polish border to Kaunas,

4557-406: The border. This takes a few minutes per car, but is quicker than transshipment of goods. A more modern and sophisticated method is to have multigauge bogies with wheelsets whose wheels can be moved inwards and outwards . Normally they are locked in place, but special equipment at the border unloads and unlocks the wheels and pushes them inward or outward to the new gauge, relocking and reloading

4650-476: The coal mines of County Durham . He favoured 4 ft 8 in ( 1,422 mm ) for wagonways in Northumberland and Durham , and used it on his Killingworth line. The Hetton and Springwell wagonways also used this gauge. Stephenson's Stockton and Darlington railway (S&DR) was built primarily to transport coal from mines near Shildon to the port at Stockton-on-Tees . Opening in 1825,

4743-525: The colonies. Parts of the United States, mainly in the Northeast, adopted the same gauge, because some early trains were purchased from Britain. The American gauges converged, as the advantages of equipment interchange became increasingly apparent. Notably, all the 5 ft ( 1,524 mm ) broad gauge track in the South was converted to "almost standard" gauge 4 ft 9 in ( 1,448 mm ) over

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4836-459: The course of two days beginning on 31 May 1886. See Track gauge in the United States . In continental Europe, France and Belgium adopted a 1,500 mm ( 4 ft  11 + 1 ⁄ 16  in ) gauge (measured between the midpoints of each rail's profile ) for their early railways. The gauge between the interior edges of the rails (the measurement adopted from 1844) differed slightly between countries, and even between networks within

4929-470: The early era of railways in Britain (including rollbocks , transporter wagons , dual gauge , and even containerization or variable gauge axles), but they were not implemented at the height of the Gauge War in the 1840s, which resulted in a regular need for transloading. L. T. C. Rolt 's biography of Isambard Kingdom Brunel (key proponent of the broad gauge for the Great Western Railway ) remarks on

5022-735: The first railways to the 5 ft 3 in ( 1,600 mm ) Irish broad gauge. New South Wales then built to the standard gauge, so trains had to stop on the border and passengers transferred, which was only rectified in the 1960s. Queensland still runs on a narrow gauge but there is a standard gauge line from NSW to Brisbane. NMBS/SNCB 3,619 km (2,249 mi) Brussels Metro 40 km (25 mi) Trams in Brussels 140 km (87 mi) 1,032 km (641 mi) The Toronto Transit Commission uses 4 ft  10 + 7 ⁄ 8  in ( 1,495 mm ) gauge on its streetcar and subway lines. Takoradi to Sekondi Route,

5115-578: The gauge of 5 ft or 1,520 mm, include: Short sections of Russian or 5 ft gauge extend into Poland , eastern Slovakia , Sweden (at the Finnish border at Haparanda ), and northern Afghanistan . There is an approximately 150 km long section in Hungary in the Záhony logistics area close to the Ukrainian border. Following renovations in 2014, a 32 km section of dual Standard /Russian gauge

5208-406: The gauge then used by the Pennsylvania Railroad . In 1837, the first railway built in Russia was a 6 ft ( 1,829 mm ) gauge, 17 km long experimental line connecting Saint Petersburg with Tsarskoye Selo and Pavlovsk . The choice of gauge was influenced by Brunel 's Great Western Railway which used 7 ft ( 2,134 mm ). The Tsarskoye Selo railway's success proved that

5301-429: The initial gauge of 4 ft 8 in ( 1,422 mm ) was set to accommodate the existing gauge of hundreds of horse-drawn chaldron wagons that were already in use on the wagonways in the mines. The railway used this gauge for 15 years before a change was made, debuting around 1850, to the 1,435 mm ( 4 ft  8 + 1 ⁄ 2  in ) gauge. The historic Mount Washington Cog Railway ,

5394-534: The inner sides of the rails) to be used. Different railways used different gauges, and where rails of different gauge met – a " gauge break " – loads had to be unloaded from one set of rail cars and reloaded onto another, a time-consuming and expensive process. The result was the adoption throughout a large part of the world of a "standard gauge" of 1,435 mm ( 4 ft  8 + 1 ⁄ 2  in ), allowing interconnectivity and interoperability. A popular legend that has circulated since at least 1937 traces

5487-400: The inside edges of the rails is defined to be 1,435 mm except in the United States, Canada, and on some heritage British lines, where it is defined in U.S. customary / Imperial units as exactly "four feet eight and one half inches", which is equivalent to 1,435.1   mm. As railways developed and expanded, one of the key issues was the track gauge (the distance, or width, between

5580-479: The lack of physical connections between the two networks. A large railway may have main lines with heavy tracks, and branch lines with light track. Light locomotives and rolling stock can operate on all lines, but heavy locomotives and rolling stock can only operate on heavy track. Heavy rolling stock might be able to operate on lighter track at reduced speed. Light track can be upgraded to heavy track by installing heavy rails, etc., and this can be done without changing

5673-664: The mainland. Before 2019, rail cars coming from the mainland port of Vanino on the Vanino-Kholmsk train ferry , operating since 1973, had to have their bogies changed in the Sakhalin port of Kholmsk . In 2004 and 2008 plans were put forward to convert it to the Russian gauge. The conversion was completed in 2019. There were proposals in 2013 for north-south and east-west lines in Afghanistan, with construction to start in 2013. The Panama Canal Railway , first constructed in ca. 1850,

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5766-1283: The maximum height and width for railway vehicles and their loads, is larger for Russian gauge. This means that if a standard gauge railway, in Europe, is adapted for dual gauge , bridges must be rebuilt, double tracks must be placed further apart and the overhead wire must be raised. Or there must be restrictions on permitted rolling stock, which would restrict the benefit of such a railway. Dual gauge needs more width than single gauge. For double stacking on Russian gauge tracks, maximum height shall be 6.15 or 6.4 m (20 ft 2 in or 21 ft 0 in) above rails. For standard gauge railways, double stacking maximum height shall be 6.15 m (20 ft 2 in). For Indian gauge railways, double stacking maximum height shall be 7.1 m (23 ft 4 in), and minimum overhead wiring height shall be 6.5 or 6.75 m (21 ft 4 in or 22 ft 2 in) above rails. Minimum overhead wiring height for double stacking, standard gauge railways shall be 6.5 m (21 ft 4 in), and Indian gauge railways shall be 7.45 m (24 ft 5 in) above rails, respectively. This would apply to Russia and Europe (or North America), rather than to Russia and China (or Iran). The primary countries currently using

5859-516: The need for steam locomotives of both gauges the narrow-gauge engines were provided with standard-gauge converter wagons (named "haulage trucks"). The narrow-gauge steam locomotive was lowered into the haulage truck using a gantry, and its wheels rested on rollers, which in turn drove the haulage wagon wheels via a 3:1 reduction gear. Several of these locomotives survived into preservation, including locomotive No23 complete with haulage wagon and lifting gantry preserved at Brockham museum in 1966, and now at

5952-445: The origin of the 1,435 mm ( 4 ft  8 + 1 ⁄ 2  in ) gauge even further back than the coalfields of northern England, pointing to the evidence of rutted roads marked by chariot wheels dating from the Roman Empire . Snopes categorised this legend as "false", but commented that it "is perhaps more fairly labeled as 'Partly true, but for trivial and unremarkable reasons. ' " The historical tendency to place

6045-416: The other system. When transloading from one gauge to another, often the quantities of rolling stock are unbalanced between the two systems, leading to more idle rolling stock on one system than the other. One common method to avoid transshipment is to build cars to the smaller of the two systems' loading gauges with bogies that are easily removed and replaced with other bogies at an interchange location on

6138-405: The outermost portions of the wheel rims, it became apparent that for vehicles travelling on rails, having main wheel flanges that fit inside the rails is better, thus the minimum distance between the wheels (and, by extension, the inside faces of the rail heads ) was the important one. A standard gauge for horse railways never existed, but rough groupings were used; in the north of England none

6231-414: The relatively steep gradients encountered. Through running of standard-gauge trains on rack sections would not be possible, but dual-gauge track exists in many places where the gradient is relatively flat to carry standard- and metre-gauge stock. There are also some 800-mm-gauge railways which are entirely rack operated. The effects of a minor break of gauge can be minimized by placing it at the point where

6324-411: The rest of the network. All other railways use 1,668 mm ( 5 ft  5 + 21 ⁄ 32  in ) ( broad gauge ) and/or 1,000 mm ( 3 ft  3 + 3 ⁄ 8  in ) metre gauge . BLS , Rigi Railways (rack railway) 449 km Several states in the United States had laws requiring road vehicles to have a consistent gauge to allow them to follow ruts in

6417-571: The road. Those gauges were similar to railway standard gauge. Break of gauge With railways, a break of gauge occurs where a line of one track gauge (the distance between the rails, or between the wheels of trains designed to run on those rails) meets a line of a different gauge. Trains and rolling stock generally cannot run through without some form of conversion between gauges , leading to passengers having to change trains and freight requiring transloading or transshipping ; this can add delays, costs, and inconvenience to travel on such

6510-461: The rolling stock's tolerance is kept within certain limits, through running between 1,520 mm ( 4 ft  11 + 27 ⁄ 32  in ) railways and Finnish 1,524 mm ( 5 ft ) railways is allowed. Since both 1,520 and 1,524 mm tolerances overlap, the difference is negligible. The international high-speed Allegro 's gauge between Helsinki and St. Petersburg was specified as 1,522 mm. The loading gauge , which defines

6603-605: The same gauge to which they are not otherwise connected. Piggyback operation by the trainload occurred as a temporary measure between Port Augusta and Marree during gauge conversion work in the 1950s to bypass steep gradients and washaways in the Flinders Ranges . Narrow-gauge railways were favoured in the underground slate quarries of North Wales , as tunnels could be smaller. The Padarn Railway operated transporter wagons on their 4 ft ( 1,219 mm ) gauge railway, each carrying four 1 ft  10 + 3 ⁄ 4  in ( 578 mm ) slate trams. When

6696-733: The standard in the Russian Empire and later the Soviet Union. Russian engineers used it on the Chinese Eastern Railway , built in the closing years of the 19th century across the Northeastern China entry to provide a shortcut for the Trans-Siberian Railway to Vladivostok . The railway's southern branch, from Harbin via Changchun to Lüshun , used Russian gauge. As a result of the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905, its southernmost section from Changchun to Lüshun

6789-485: The term "narrow gauge" for gauges less than standard did not arise for many years, until the first such locomotive-hauled passenger railway, the Ffestiniog Railway , was built. In 1845, in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland , a Royal Commission on Railway Gauges reported in favour of a standard gauge. The subsequent Gauge Act ruled that new passenger-carrying railways in Great Britain should be built to

6882-623: The tolerances in a similar way, but to a higher level. After its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, Estonia redefined its track gauge to 1,524 mm , to match Finland's gauge. The redefinition did not mean that all the railways in Estonia were changed immediately. It was more a rule change, so that all renovated old tracks and new railways would be constructed in 1,524 mm gauge from then on. (See Track gauge in Estonia .) Finland allows its gauge to be 1,520–1,529 mm on first class lines (classes 1AA and 1A, speed 220–160 km/h). If

6975-505: The track gauge. When a main line is converted to a different gauge, branch lines can be cut off and made relatively useless, at least for freight trains, until they too are converted to the new gauge. These severed branches can be called gauge orphans . The opposite of a gauge orphan is a line of one gauge which reaches into the territory composed mainly of another gauge. Examples include five 1,600 mm ( 5 ft 3 in ) broad-gauge lines from Victoria, Australia, which crossed

7068-478: The train if it has a smaller loading gauge) or – in the case of freight railways – less room for cargo, making double stacking impossible or other negative effects. The earliest working example of the axle-changing system at the French-Spain border in 1948 had the axles being changed at the rate of 8 wagons or 32 axles per hour. The United States of America had broad-, narrow-, and standard-gauge tracks in

7161-418: The transfer location. Container cranes are relatively portable, so that if the break of gauge transshipment hub changes from time to time, the cranes can be moved around as required. Fork lift trucks can also be used. For example, when containers are shipped by a "direct train" from China to Europe, it is only containers, and not the railcars, which move from China's railway network to that of Kazakhstan. At

7254-434: The wheels of horse-drawn vehicles around 5 ft ( 1,524 mm ) apart probably derives from the width needed to fit a carthorse in between the shafts. Research, however, has been undertaken to support the hypothesis that "the origin of the standard gauge of the railway might result from an interval of wheel ruts of prehistoric ancient carriages". In addition, while road-travelling vehicles are typically measured from

7347-507: The wheels when done. This is done as the train moves slowly over the special equipment. In some cases, breaks of gauge are avoided by installing dual-gauge track, either permanently or as part of a changeover process to a single gauge. One method of achieving interoperability between rolling stock of different gauges is to piggyback stock of one gauge on special transporter wagons or even ordinary flat wagons fitted with rails. This enables rolling stock to reach workshops and other lines of

7440-426: The world's first mountain -climbing rack railway , is still in operation in the 21st century, and has used the earlier 4 ft 8 in ( 1,422 mm ) gauge since its inauguration in 1868. George Stephenson introduced the 1,435 mm ( 4 ft  8 + 1 ⁄ 2  in ) gauge (including a belated extra 1 ⁄ 2  in (13 mm) of free movement to reduce binding on curves ) for

7533-439: Was built in 5 ft ( 1,524 mm ) gauge. During canal construction (1904–1914), this same gauge was chosen for both construction traffic, canal operating services along the quays, and the newly routed commercial cross-isthmus railway. In 2000 the gauge for the commercial parallel railway was changed to 1,435 mm ( 4 ft  8 + 1 ⁄ 2  in ) to use standard gauge equipment. The original gauge

7626-499: Was built outside the city, as the existing station was hemmed in by built-up areas. All high-speed " Shinkansen " routes in Japan have been built as standard-gauge lines. A few routes, known as " Super Tokkyū ", have been planned as narrow-gauge 3 ft 6 in ( 1,067 mm ), and the conventional (non-high-speed) is mostly narrow-gauge 3 ft 6 in ( 1,067 mm ), so there are some breaks of gauge and dual gauge

7719-600: Was chosen under the influence of the pre-conversion southern United States railway companies. The electric manoeuvering locomotives along the locks ( mules ) still use the 5 ft gauge that was laid during canal construction. The first rail line in Finland was opened in January 1862. As Finland was then the Grand Duchy of Finland , an autonomous state ruled in personal union by Imperial Russia where railways were also built to

7812-673: Was completed in 2015. A standard-gauge line, extending from Belarusian-Polish border to Hrodna, is used for passenger connections to Białystok, Warsaw and Kraków. A standard-gauge line from Polish-Ukrainian border to Lviv is planned. While track gauge is the most important factor preventing through running between adjacent systems, other issues can also be a hindrance, including structure gauge , loading gauge , axleloads , couplings , brakes , electrification systems , signalling systems, multiple unit controls, rules and regulations , driver certification, righthand or lefthand running, repairs (how to make and pay for repairs while rolling stock

7905-625: Was constructed. In 1840, the Northern and Eastern Railway was built. In 1844, both lines were converted to 1,435 mm ( 4 ft  8 + 1 ⁄ 2  in ) standard gauge . In 1903, the East Hill Cliff Railway , a funicular , was opened. In 1827, Horatio Allen , the chief engineer of the South Carolina Canal and Rail Road Company , prescribed the usage of 5 ft ( 1,524 mm ) gauge. Many other railroads in

7998-682: Was expected to be the Kyushu Shinkansen Nagasaki route. However, the program was cancelled in 2008. The North Korean rail system has some breaks of gauge. Several parts of the Paektusan Ch'ŏngnyŏn Line on the stretch between Wiyŏn and Hyesan Ch'ŏngnyŏn are dual gauged to allow connections to the Paektusan Rimch'ŏl Line and the Samjiyŏn Line . Also, the line connecting to the Trans-Siberian Railway from Rason to Tumangang and

8091-1070: Was installed between Tumangang and Rajin stations in North Korea. The most western 1,520 mm gauge railway is the Polish LHS ( Linia Hutnicza Szerokotorowa ) from the Ukrainian border to the eastern end of the Upper Silesian Industrial Region . Although broad gauge is quite rare on lighter railways and street tramways worldwide, almost all tramways in the former USSR are broad gauge (according to terminology in use in these countries, gauges narrower than 1,520 mm ( 4 ft  11 + 27 ⁄ 32  in ) are considered to be narrow). Many tramway networks initially built to narrow gauges ( 750 mm or 2 ft  5 + 1 ⁄ 2  in or 1,000 mm or 3 ft  3 + 3 ⁄ 8  in metre gauge ) were converted to broad gauge. As of 2015, only

8184-768: Was less than 4 ft ( 1,219 mm ). Wylam colliery's system, built before 1763, was 5 ft ( 1,524 mm ), as was John Blenkinsop 's Middleton Railway ; the old 4 ft ( 1,219 mm ) plateway was relaid to 5 ft ( 1,524 mm ) so that Blenkinsop's engine could be used. Others were 4 ft 4 in ( 1,321 mm ) (in Beamish ) or 4 ft  7 + 1 ⁄ 2  in ( 1,410 mm ) (in Bigges Main (in Wallsend ), Kenton , and Coxlodge ). English railway pioneer George Stephenson spent much of his early engineering career working for

8277-412: Was lost to the Japanese, who promptly regauged it to standard gauge , after using the narrow 3 ft 6 in ( 1,067 mm ) for a short time during the war. This formed a break of gauge between Changchun and Kuancheng , the station just to the north of Changchun, still in Russian hands, until the rest of the former Chinese Eastern Railway was converted to standard gauge, probably in

8370-427: Was planning to build an additional line using standard gauge, between Dostyk and Aktogay but the scheme was abandoned. Iran , with its standard-gauge rail system, has a break of gauge with 1,520 mm ( 4 ft  11 + 27 ⁄ 32  in ) gauge at the borders with Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan , and also with Pakistan's 5 ft 6 in gauge railway at Zahedan . The break-of-gauge station at Zahedan

8463-534: Was regauged to 1435 mm during post-WWII reconstruction. Tampere tramway , built in 2021, uses 1,435 mm ( 4 ft  8 + 1 ⁄ 2  in ). Underground urban rapid transit systems in the former USSR, like the Moscow Metro , Saint Petersburg Metro , Kyiv Metro and Yerevan Metro use Russian gauge ( 1,520 mm ). Outside the former USSR, the Helsinki Metro in Finland that utilizes

8556-526: Was reported to have said that if he had had a second chance to choose a gauge, he would have chosen one wider than 4 ft  8 + 1 ⁄ 2  in ( 1,435 mm ). "I would take a few inches more, but a very few". During the " gauge war " with the Great Western Railway , standard gauge was called " narrow gauge ", in contrast to the Great Western's 7 ft  1 ⁄ 4  in ( 2,140 mm ) broad gauge . The modern use of

8649-447: Was under Japan's control when railway construction began. One stretch of rail that used 600 mm ( 1 ft  11 + 5 ⁄ 8  in ) narrow gauge was converted to match the 3 ft 6 in ( 1,067 mm ) narrow gauge after Russia took control of it. Starting from the 1970s, a train ferry service was provided to connect Sakhalin and the Russia mainland, requiring bogie exchange on wagons to allow operation on

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