Project Links
Transcontinental Railroad Study
National Park Service - Washington Office » Transcontinental Railroad Study » Document List
The National Park Service is beginning work on a planning study to outline the significance and fundamental resources and values of the Transcontinental Railroad. This study will enhance historical research, education, interpretation, and public awareness of the United States' first transcontinental railroad.
Constructed between 1863 and 1869, the Transcontinental Railroad stretches for 1,776 miles from Sacramento, California, to Council Bluffs, Iowa. The railroad connected, displaced, created, and remade countless communities in its path, yet their diverse perspectives have long gone unrecognized. Through a new Transcontinental Railroad program, the National Park Service has an opportunity to preserve and share histories vital to the national significance of this route and critical to public understanding of U.S. History.
Project Background
In 2019, Congress passed the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act. The act authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to establish within the National Park Service a program to commemorate and interpret the Transcontinental Railroad. Before the program is established, the Secretary is tasked with conducting a study to determine how the program should operate.
Staying Engaged
The National Park Service wants your input. Please click "Open For Comment" on the left-side navigation menu to submit your comments.
The study team is also inviting Native American Tribes to participate in virtual Tribal engagement sessions. Two meetings will be held, with one on Wednesday, September 4, 2024 and one on Monday, September 30, 2024. For more information and to register for a virtual meeting, click "Meeting Notices" on the left-side navigation menu.
Virtual public listening sessions were held on May 6, May 24, June 10, and June 17, 2024.
This website will be updated regularly with information to keep you informed on the process. Thank you for your interest.
Project Manager
(303) 987-6726
Constructed between 1863 and 1869, the Transcontinental Railroad stretches for 1,776 miles from Sacramento, California, to Council Bluffs, Iowa. The railroad connected, displaced, created, and remade countless communities in its path, yet their diverse perspectives have long gone unrecognized. Through a new Transcontinental Railroad program, the National Park Service has an opportunity to preserve and share histories vital to the national significance of this route and critical to public understanding of U.S. History.
Project Background
In 2019, Congress passed the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act. The act authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to establish within the National Park Service a program to commemorate and interpret the Transcontinental Railroad. Before the program is established, the Secretary is tasked with conducting a study to determine how the program should operate.
Staying Engaged
The National Park Service wants your input. Please click "Open For Comment" on the left-side navigation menu to submit your comments.
The study team is also inviting Native American Tribes to participate in virtual Tribal engagement sessions. Two meetings will be held, with one on Wednesday, September 4, 2024 and one on Monday, September 30, 2024. For more information and to register for a virtual meeting, click "Meeting Notices" on the left-side navigation menu.
Virtual public listening sessions were held on May 6, May 24, June 10, and June 17, 2024.
This website will be updated regularly with information to keep you informed on the process. Thank you for your interest.
Contact Information
Julie BellProject Manager
(303) 987-6726