What was the name of the first transcontinental railroad in the United States?

The first transcontinental railroad in the United States was called the First Transcontinental Railroad, also known at first as the Pacific Railroad.

The line was built between 1863 and 1869 by the Union Pacific Railroad, working west from the Missouri River, and the Central Pacific Railroad, working east from Sacramento, California. Their tracks met at Promontory Summit in Utah Territory on 10 May 1869, where the ceremonial “Last Spike” marked the connection. The completed route linked the eastern rail network with the Pacific coast and made long-distance travel across the country far faster.

Union Pacific Railroad is a common wrong answer because it built the eastern section, but it did not build the entire transcontinental line alone. The Central Pacific constructed the mountainous western section, relying heavily on Chinese immigrant workers. The original railroad did not reach San Francisco directly by rail at the 1869 ceremony; passengers initially continued by ferry from the Bay Area terminus. The route later became known as the Overland Route.