Railways

While countries – especially developing ones – have been investing substantial amount of resources into funding the development of modern roads and highways, the enthusiasm for rail development has fluctuated over time. Since the late 1990s, concerns over issues such as greenhouse gases, fossil fuel dependency and energy efficiency have led to renewed interest in the inherent quality of rail. As a result, a number of governments are once again considering rail as a viable transport option and rail infrastructure development projects are once again on the agenda. However, the extent of rail infrastructure development and the utilization of the rail mode offer a contrasting picture across the region. Table II-1 below shows railway route-kilometres, defined as the sum of the distances (in kilometres) between the mid-points of all stations on the network, for a number of selected member countries in the ESCAP region as well as the most common track gauges in use in each country.

Related Subject(s): Transportation and Public Safety