The railroad was the new way to travel, and those who were not willing before were eager to start heading west to settle. People were now seeing the world growing smaller because traveling was becoming possible rather than impossible. This thought of the world becoming smaller stems from the ease of traveling from one side of the nation in one week rather than months The Transcontinental Railroad was the most ambitious engineering projects that helped stimulate America's economy and created efficient transportation which is one of the main reasons for the success in the westward expansion. The railroad offered a new means to transport goods from one coast of the nation to the other in a fast and efficient manner. It also allowed people to make a journey west in weeks that would have otherwise taken months or years. The railroad also provided jobs to immigrants and other people of society who would not have been able to contribute to the economy without that job. The Transcontinental Railroad was the key piece to the success of the Westward Expansion and is one reason why America is what it is