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

In a major update for U.S. transportation, two of these companies filed an application with federal regulators last month seeking approval to create America’s first transcontinental railroad.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 5, 2026

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

The 19th-century transcontinental railroad; the Manhattan Project, which developed the nuclear weapons that ended World War II; and the 1960s Apollo space program are examples.

From Washington Post • Mar. 6, 2023

Through the 1960s, Seattle was served by the Great Northern, Northern Pacific and Union Pacific, as well as the Milwaukee Road’s Pacific Extension, the last transcontinental railroad built.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 2, 2022

As his eyes wandered to one of the office walls, the black trail of a great transcontinental railroad caught and held his attention.

From The Main Chance by Nicholson, Meredith