For all the adversity they suffered, the Union Pacific and Cen | U.S History
For all the adversity they suffered, the Union Pacific and Central Pacific workers were able to finish the transcontinental railroad in 1869, ahead of schedule and under budget. Journeys that had taken months by wagon train or weeks by boat now only took days. Their work had immediate impact: the years following construction of the railway were years of rapid growth and expansion for the United States, due in large part to the speed and ease of travel that the railroad provided.
