Railroads were invented in the early 19th century, with key developments starting in the early 1800s. The first practical steam-powered locomotive was built by Richard Trevithick in 1804 in the United Kingdom. This was followed by George Stephenson’s innovations, including the first public steam railway, the Stockton and Darlington Railway in 1825, and the famous "Rocket" locomotive in 1829, which set the standard for future steam locomotives. Early railroads evolved from primitive wooden rails used for horse-drawn wagons, especially in mining, into iron rails supporting steam-powered trains, marking the birth of modern railroads.
In the United States, the railroad concept was first proposed around 1812, and the first chartered railroad was the Granite Railway in Massachusetts in 1826. The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, completed in 1827, was the first regular carrier of passengers and freight. Modern passenger trains with steam locomotives emerged by 1830, leading to a rapid expansion of rail networks across the country by the mid-19th century.