Cornelius Vanderbilt took over his father's shipping business and with his fortune was able to invest in the US railroad system as it was being created.
Vanderbilt was competitive and ruthless buying out competitors and growing his business. He became the leading steamboat operator in the US moving cargo ships through the Northeast and into the Great Lakes. He then moved his financial investment to railroads. Vanderbilt gained control of many state lines and for the first time created regional railroads. His process would eventually lead to a Transcontinental Railroad spanning the country and connecting East to West. Vanderbilt was also responsible for creating the first urban rail lines in particular the central line in New York City.