 While the Union Pacific line had been declared finished in 1869 with the Golden spike event in Utah, linking it with the Central Pacific Railroad, passengers were required to disembark the train and cross the Missouri River at Omaha by boat.With the completion of the Denver Pacific line, it was finally possible to embark a train on the east coast and disembark on the west coast.The Denver Pacific's rival, the Colorado Central line from Golden, was not completed until 1877.