According to Wikipedia, the Transcontinental Railroad cost about $100,000,000 ($2,000,000,000 today.) What was the fight over this bill like in 1862, considering the cost of war also had to be taken into account?

by chikindiner

I'm sure the project was incrementally funded, but what were the upfront costs?

I know the South opposed it and the bill wasn't pushed through until after secession, but were there dissenting Union states? What about the border states?

kezzaNZ

Further, why was it so much cheaper to build infrastructure like this historically? Even when taking into account the cost of inflation?

I would imagine it would cost orders of magnitude more now?