transcontinental railroad

Cultural  

1. A train route across the United States, finished in 1869. It was the project of two railroad companies: the Union Pacific built from the east, and the Central Pacific built from the west. The two lines met in Utah. The Central Pacific laborers were predominantly Chinese, and the Union Pacific laborers predominantly Irish. Both groups often worked under harsh conditions.

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Example Sentences

Union Pacific announced in July a proposal to acquire Norfolk Southern in a merger that would create the country’s first transcontinental railroad.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 4, 2025

Union Pacific is seeking to buy Norfolk Southern in an $85-billion deal that would create the first transcontinental railroad in the U.S.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 2, 2025

The blockbuster railroad combination, the largest deal so far this year, would create the nation’s first transcontinental railroad operator.

From The Wall Street Journal • Sep. 20, 2025

Sacramento was the state’s first incorporated city and later became the western terminus of the transcontinental railroad.

From Washington Post • Apr. 17, 2023

The experience of the war made possible the building of this transcontinental railroad, not only physically, but financially.

From The Great Salt Lake Trail by Inman, Henry