Rail transport is the most commonly used mode of long-distance transportation in the People's Republic of China. Almost all rail operations in Mainland China are handled by the Ministry of Railways, which is part of the State Council of the People's Republic of China. The 1,435 mm (4 ft 8½ in) (standard gauge) rail network traverses the length and breadth of the country, covering a total length of 78,000 kilometres (48,600 mi), making only the rail networks in the United States and Russia larger in size. As of 2007, Chinese Railway owned about 578,000 wagons, 44,000 coaches and 18,300 locomotives and ran more than 36,300 trains daily, including about 3000 passenger trains and 33,300 freight trains. The network today serves all provinces with the exception of Macau.