France vs Germany: Rail lines

France
27,716 total route-km
in 2021
Germany
33,401 total route-km
in 2021
France rank
7th
Germany rank
6th

Rail lines over time

  • France
  • Germany
010.0k20.0k30.0k40.0k199520082021

How they compare

Germany currently reports 33,401 total route-km against 27,716 total route-km in France, a difference of 5,685 total route-km.

That makes Germany's figure about 1.2 times France's.

Across all 26 years both countries report, Germany has been ahead every year.

France ranks 7th and Germany ranks 6th of 104 countries.

Germany has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade France Germany Difference Ahead
1990s 31,350 total route-km 39,347 total route-km 7,997 total route-km Germany
2000s 29,860 total route-km 34,926 total route-km 5,066 total route-km Germany
2010s 29,237 total route-km 33,479 total route-km 4,242 total route-km Germany
2020s 27,794 total route-km 33,400 total route-km 5,606 total route-km Germany

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher rail lines, France or Germany?
Germany, at 33,401 total route-km against 27,716 total route-km in France as of 2021.
What is the difference in rail lines between France and Germany?
5,685 total route-km, with Germany ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for France and Germany?
26 years are reported by both, from 1995 to 2021.
How do France and Germany rank globally for rail lines?
France ranks 7th and Germany ranks 6th of 104 countries.
Where does this data come from?
Railisa Database, International Union of Railways (UIC), published as Rail lines (total route-km). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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France vs Germany: Rail lines. Statizoid, drawing on Railisa Database, International Union of Railways (UIC). Retrieved 23 September 2026, from https://infrastructure.statizoid.com/compare/rail-lines-total-route-km/france/germany/

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About this data

Indicator
Rail lines (total route-km)
Unit
total route-km
Source
Railisa Database, International Union of Railways (UIC)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
104 places, 2,110 data points, 1995–2021
Last refreshed

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