Construction of Intercontinental Railroads

Construction of Intercontinental Railroads

Construction of intercontinental railroads, which has become an instrumental means of transport in the industry, was funded by the US government through the Pacific funding. The railroads were prognosticated to be of great benefit to human beings who would be depending on them for transportation purposes. Various resources were needed for successful completion of the construction activity. Apart from the financial support that was provided by the US government, construction lands and human labor were still significant factors that needed to be considered in the project. Consequently, most lands were donated by the US governments by allowing the railroads to sell all the unused lands for the purpose of funding the construction project (Garrison & Levinson, 2014). Ultimately, the construction of the continental railroads was associated with various significant challenges, but through the efforts put in place by the US government and the members of the public, the project was completed successfully.

Challenges of the Construction Project

Intercontinental railroads faced financial problems that were manifested in the unavailability of enough land that was required for the completion of the project. Even though the US government took several initiatives of giving out most of the construction lands in grant forms, the railroad companies would not sell all of their lands to fund the construction. Unfortunately, the companies would not proceed with the project without the benefits that could only be accrued through the selling of the land (Ambrose, 2000). Besides, most of the profits that were received by some of the shareholders who were in charge of the land were pocketed by individuals, leaving the construction with limited funds for the project (Aubuchon, 2016). The corruption was a significant blow to railroad companies, since; there were not enough funds for purchasing construction materials and paying the workers.

Reactions of Individuals and the Public

The problems discussed above had their significance that showed reactions of various individuals including the public towards the construction project. Even though the public was aware of the benefits that would be experienced from the construction of the railroads, they showed sluggishness towards funding the project. Besides, individuals who had a good faith of contributing for the railroads were faced with financial constraints in their families, and this affected their intended support as far as the construction of the railroads was concerned (Union Pacific, n.d). On the other hand, some people squandered public land without paying for them, hence, posing great financial challenges to railroad constructors. Ultimately, it was clear that all the funds that were being invested in the project would be recovered after the completion of the activity.

Development of Alternative Actions

The first alternative that would have been applied by the government was to invite private funders to contribute towards the project by restricting government's contribution towards the construction of the railroads. The strategy would have eliminated the risk of betraying the trust of the public. However, the strategy would have slowed down the construction process since; the private financiers would have taken more time to secure tenders. On the other hand, the government would have invited funders to apply for construction tenders. The second strategy would have reduced the risk of betraying the public trust. Unfortunately, using the second strategy would have delayed the construction process.

Conclusion

The construction of intercontinental railroads proved to be challenging due to different financial constraints. However, the public and the government were aware of the benefits that were to be realized upon completion of the railroads. As a result, the US government took the initiative of funding the project by allowing the railroads to sell the land to raise the construction funds. Despite all the challenges that were experienced by the constructors, they still managed to complete the project that has now registered government revenue and other benefits to the transport sector.

References

Ambrose, S. E. (2000). Nothing like it in the world. New York, NY: Simon " Schuster.

Aubuchon, B. (2016). Personal Communication. New York, NY: Springer.

Garrison, W. L., " Levinson, D. M. (2014). The transportation experience (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

Union Pacific. (n.d.). Financing. Retrieved from http://www.up.com/aboutup/history/overview/financing/index.htm