Over 1400 steam locomotives around the world are still operational today. The UK has among the most extensive network of steam train services in the world. Reflecting the country's historic railway innovations, the UK has over 170 operational railways, running trains over nearly 900 km of track and operating between around 460 stations.
Most of these have steam trains in partial or total service. In North Wales, there is a 60 km narrow gauge network which exclusively operates steam trains. In North Yorkshire, there is a seasonal daily steam hauled train service operating for a 90 minute journey between Pickering and Whitby.
There are also plenty of examples in mainland Europe, North America, India and Australia. Germany has a number of narrow gauge lines with more or less regular operation and at least partial steam traction. Switzerland has the Brienz-Rothorn-Bahn, a cogwheel mountain line with partial steam operation. Austria has some steam hauled mountain lines, including the Achenseebahn and Schafbergbahn. Poland keeps steam locomotives operational at Wolsztyn, and a narrow gauge railway in Koszalin still operates as public transport using a steam engine. India uses steam locomotives on the Darjeeling and Nilgiri lines.
In the United States, the Union Pacific Railroad has its own steam locomotives used for public relations and advertising, and they boast that they have never stopped running steam. There are also tourist railroads such as the Durango and Silverton, which run purely steam-powered excursions. There is one place where steam is still occasionally used to haul revenue freight: the Strasburg Rail Road in Pennsylvania, which is primarily a tourist railroad but also an active short line that deals with local freight.
China was using steam locomotives well into the 2000s in the coal industry, but those have mostly been retired. The last commercially used steam trains were at Sandaoling, and they became a magnet for steam train enthusiasts worldwide.
