Transcontinental Railroad (1869)
The first transcontinental railroad connected the US East and West coasts at Promontory Summit, Utah. The 1,912-mile line cut cross-country travel from months to about a week.
Freight and passenger traffic surged, transforming western settlement and commerce.
The railroad became the backbone of US economic expansion, linking agricultural and industrial regions.
Like the DFC, it was a state-backed infrastructure project that connected industrial hubs and ports, fundamentally changing freight economics.
