Meyer said the process of building a modern rail line — even a small, locally operated line — is more complicated in some respects than laying the transcontinental railroad. Before beginning construction, UTA was required by federal law to complete a two-year study of the environmental effects of building commuter rail and also had to outline how it would "mitigate," or help to lessen any impacts.

After that, UTA worked six months to obtain approval from 43 cities and jurisdictions to build commuter rail. Now, it is in the middle of a two-year process of diverting utilities that run under the commuter-rail line.

UTA has had to deal with oil pipelines, as well as fiber-optic, sewer, water, natural-gas and power lines. Rails are being laid, but along the way, the utility work must first be done.

"You name it, we've got it," Meyer said. "It's not a small thing."

With the transcontinental railroad, very few, if any, environmental clearances were required, according to historical reports. It was all about building as fast as you could to obtain money from the federal government to build more, said Guisto.

In fact, Guisto said that many historians attribute the demise of the great herds of American bison to the railroad, which made the West more accessible for people to settle. The herds were essentially hunted to extinction by hunters and the settlers, he said.

But unlike commuter rail, creating a path, or grade, for the transcontinental railroad was one of its greatest obstacles. After leaving Sacramento, the Central Pacific Railroad crews had to deal with the high mountain passes of the Sierra Nevadas.

The crews mainly consisted of workers from China, who were paid low wages and worked long hours. Many of the workers died from freezing temperatures and injuries sustained during construction.

Rebecca Cooper Winter, in an article for the Central Pacific Railroad's online museum, said it took a full day, or "three eight-hour shifts," for workers to drill holes where explosives could be placed to blast through the granite rock of the Sierras.

The Union Pacific Railroad crews, many of whom were former soldiers in the Civil War or immigrants from Ireland, began construction in Omaha. They were building on much flatter ground but had to deal with Indian attacks and wild animals such as bison, according to historical reports.

Laying rails

With commuter rail, the only delays have been because of strict safety requirements that prohibit when, and where, work can be done. Also, the train tracks cross over 43 different roads. UTA has had to limit its work because of that issue, said Meyer.

But what of the 10-mile record?