The first Transcontinental Railroad was built in 1863 to 1869 to join eastern and western halves. Its construction started a few days before the American Civil War and it is considered to be one of the greatest American technological achievement of the 19th century. The transcontinental railroad reduced the distance to 6 days to travel from the Atlantic Ocean to Pacific which earlier took 6 months. It required large numbers of laborers who were brought from China. Before Transcontinental Railroad was built it cost nearly $ 1000 to travel across the country. After the railroad was completed the price suddenly reduced to $150.

In 1860 a well-known young engineer named Theodore Judah found Donner Pass in Northern California as the suitable location for constructing the railroad through the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Till 1861, Judah enlisted a group of investors in Sacramento and formed a company named Central Pacific Railroad Company. He thereafter convinced the then President Abraham Lincoln and other Congress leaders who signed Pacific Rail Road Act into law.

3000 km road termed as 'Transcontinental' means going across a continent and this railroad enabled a journey on the transcontinental from the Eastern part of the US to the Western part of the United States. The transcontinental rail paved the way for the smooth business activity between European countries and America. The easy connectivity saving time and money largely attracted trade and increased the prosperity of the region.

European rail networks are known for its diversity and technicality. Railway network is well maintained in Western and Central Europe whilst Eastern, Northen and Southern European is less developed and has infrastructure problems. These networks are spread across many countries like Germany, France, Italy Spain etc. They are the most developed and well-designed network for high-speed rail.