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How did the Transcontinental Railroad transform American industry after the Civil War?

After the Transcontinental Railroad was completed in 1869, the trip from New York to California became much shorter. The trip took about a week, while before the railroad was built, travelers had to make a long and dangerous journey across the ocean and across Panama. The shipping of goods from coast to coast became much faster and far less expensive, and trade across the continent greatly increased. For example, a decade after the railroad opened, freight worth $50 million was transported on the railroad from coast to coast each year. Producers on the west coast could now have access to markets in the east, and those in the east could ship products west. In addition, products from the middle of the country were developed and brought to market. In addition, the railroad facilitated westward expansion and the growth of industrial centers in the west.

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