We invite you to explore how the nation’s largest railroad came to be and how UP continues to build America with innovation and tenacity, touching the lives of nearly every citizen.
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1862Lincoln Signs Union Pacific Charter
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1862Commissioners Organize Union Pacific Railroad
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1863Big Four Take Charge of Central Pacific
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1863UP and CP Break Ground
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1863Lincoln Order Establishes Initial Point
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1863Durant Named UP's 1st VP and General Manager
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1865Union Pacific Lays First Rail
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1866Durant Hires General Dodge
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1866Union Pacific Crews Pass 100th Meridian
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1867First Railroad Line Across Iowa Complete
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1867UP Rails Reach Cheyenne; CP Battles Sierras
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1868UP Construction Reaches Highest Point
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1869Rails Reach Promontory Summit
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1869Golden Spike Ceremony, Promontory Summit, Utah
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1872First Bridge Across the Missouri River
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1872Crédit Mobilier Scandal Emerges
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1880Kansas Pacific and Denver Pacific Join UP
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1884UP Connects to the Pacific Northwest
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1887Interstate Commerce Commission Debuts
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1893UP Falls Into Bankruptcy
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1898Harriman and Investors Purchase Most of UP's Assets
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1901UP Assumes Control of Southern Pacific
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1904Lucin Cutoff Opens
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1905UP Gains Access to Los Angeles
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1906Pacific Fruit Express Company Forms
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1908Lane Cutoff Opens in Omaha
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1909Articulated Steam Locomotives Debut
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1912UP and Southern Pacific Separated
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19227000 Class Sports Models Debut
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1926UP Rolls Out 9000 Class Union Pacific Steam Locomotives
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1934M-10000 Streamliner Debuts
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1934<i>City of Portland</i> Sets Speed Record
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1936<i>City of Los Angeles</i>, <i>San Francisco</i>, <i>Denver</i> Begin Service
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1937Federal Railroad Retirement Act Goes into Effect
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1941UP Receives 1st Big Boy Steam Locomotive
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1941North Platte Canteen Opens
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1943War Bonds Buy Spirit of Union Pacific B-17 Bomber
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1944UP Receives Its Last New Steam Locomotive
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1948Tests Begin on 1st Gas Turbine-Electric
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1952Blizzards Trap <i>City of San Francisco</i>
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1950<i>Train of Tomorrow</i> Goes into Service
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1953Number 3 Track Opens in Wyoming
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1958UP Purchase Connects with Canadian Pacific
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1959Last Steam Locomotive Runs from North Platte to Cheyenne
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1960UP Wages Rock Island Merger Battle
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1969Industry Develops Transportation Control System
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1969UP Forms Union Pacific Corporation
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1969UP Introduces Centennial Locomotives
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1971Passenger Service Transfers to Amtrak
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1976Congress Passes 4R Act
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1980Staggers Rail Act Partially Deregulates Railroad Industry
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1982UP-Missouri Pacific-Western Pacific Merger Passes
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1984Connector Line Opens in Wyoming
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1984EOT Devices Replace Cabooses
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1984First Double-Stack Train Debuts
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1986UP National Customer Service Center Opens
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1988UP Acquires Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad
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1989Harriman Dispatching Center Opens
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1993Midwest Flooding Soaks UP Tracks
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1995Chicago & North Western Acquisition Complete
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1996UP Pioneers Genset Switcher Locomotive
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1996UP Transports Olympic Flame
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1996UP-Southern Pacific Merger Creates Largest U.S. Railroad
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1999UP Completes Largest Rail Construction in Modern Times
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2002UP Trains Carry Olympic Flame to Winter Games
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2004New UP Headquarters Opens in Omaha
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2008Mudslide Severs Cascade Line
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2009UP Opens New Kate Shelley Bridge
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2012UP Celebrates 150 Years
Union Pacific celebrates the shared stories that have shaped our country since 1862. We invite you to explore how the nation’s largest railroad came to be and how UP continues to build America with innovation and tenacity, touching the lives of nearly every citizen.