Porfirio Diaz's contributions to the material prosperity of his country brought Mexico out of its position of stagnation, and one of the most important factors of this prosperity was the rapid development of Mexican rail transportation facilities. Thanks to Diaz's progression, even his biggest enemies couldn't deny the success that quickly followed his move. When Diaz took office, there were only two small lines of rail, and with these advancements, Mexico has extended more than nineteen thousand miles of rail. Thanks to Diaz's success, railroads fostered both growth and underdevelopment, allowing Mexico to become a state. Before the arrival of the railroad, dirt roads and highways, built by the early Spaniards, provided the primary means of transportation for the modern economy. Mexican. Both modes of transportation, which have proven to be not only rapid but also costly, have posed obstacles to the development and expansion of the country's vast resources. According to Mexico's railroads, "cars and wagons traveled an average of fifteen to eighteen miles per day" (Powell, 94). For this inefficient and expedient reason, Mexico found itself stuck in a stagnant position, until the arrival of the railroads. How was Mexico supposed to grow economically, politically and industrially when the entire country is operating in slow motion? Subsequently, Mexican transportation of any kind was not accompanied by comfort and pleasure. Mexico's vomitous roads were a factor that most Mexicans tried to avoid, for one main reason:; natural causes of deteriorating Mexican highways made the long drive uncomfortable. An early traveler to Mexico explains: “I have traveled on difficult roads before, but never such a road” (Powell, 97). ...... middle of document ...... In this era of progress toward complete stabilization, Mexico still lacked better educational opportunities. Mexico was a state made up of Indians and people of mixed blood, and that said, illiteracy and educational facilities were extremely poor. In order to stay on the path of prosperity created by Diaz, it was up to the next “Madero” leader to pay due attention to the needs of the people. Works Cited Fred, W. Powell. “The Railways of Mexico”. Stratford Co. Boston. 1921Osgood, Hardy. “The Revolution and the Railways of Mexico.” University of California Pres. 1934The Journal of Economic History, Vol. 39, no. 4 (December 1979), pp. 939-960Published by: Cambridge University Press on behalf of the Economic History AssociationRock. “Story Reader 8.” University of California at Santa Barbara. PP. 105-109