The completion of the Transcontinental Railroad was the most important event that led to the expansion and settlement of the West. First, it made transportation from the East coast to the West coast much easier. For example, before the railroad, settlers would have to take an ox pulled wagon which is much more difficult than getting on a train. Since the transcontinental railroad made it much less difficult to travel from the East to the West, it was important to the expansion and settlement of the west. Last, it allowed faster communication to the West. For instance, before the transcontinental railroad, it took at least 4 month to communicate with people in the West, but after the completion of the railroad, it took about 3.5 days (www.phschool.com/atschool/ahon09/chapter17/web_extra.html).
