Why Some Nations Skipped Or Closed Their Railways
Building and maintaining a national railway demands severe capital expenditure and ongoing maintenance that can only be amortized if population density and heavy freight volume reach critical mass. For volcanic islands, microstates, and mountainous enclaves, roads and regional airports offer far greater flexibility.
Key Nations Without Working Railways
Iceland: The Volcanic Ring Road Model
Iceland has never had a public passenger railway network. With a population of under 400,000 scattered around a 103,000 km² sub-Arctic island riddled with shifting glaciers, geothermal rifts, and active volcanoes, tracks would be exposed to frequent seismic disruptions. The country invested instead in the 1,322-kilometer Route 1 (Ring Road), alongside domestic flight connections from Reykjavík City Airport.
Cyprus: Abandonment in Favor of Motorways
Cyprus previously operated the government-owned Cyprus Government Railway (CGR) from 1905 until 1951. With the advent of affordable motor vehicles and modern highway construction connecting Nicosia, Limassol, Larnaca, and Paphos, passenger numbers plummeted, rendering the rail system uneconomic. The tracks were dismantled in 1952.
Malta: The Demise of the 'Vapur tal-Art'
Similar to Cyprus, Malta operated a solitary single-track railway from Valletta to Mdina between 1883 and 1931. The introduction of motorized tramways and bus networks made the train line obsolete across the compact 316 km² island.
Bhutan, Andorra, and San Marino
These mountainous territories possess zero internal standard gauge rail lines due to severe topographical gradients. Bhutan coordinates freight via truck corridors from Indian railheads, while Andorra connects to French and Spanish high-speed rail hubs via modern road tunnels.