With the more than 20,000 miles of rails added to the transportation system between 1850 and 1860, total trackage surpassed 30,000 at the end of the decade, and the volume of freight traffic equaled that of canals.

• 1860年间，铁路运输系统又增加了2万英里，到1860年底，铁路总里程已超过3万英里，铁路货运量与运河持平。