Question

How did the growth of the rail networks affect the meatpacking industry

Answer 1

Meat could be transferred in refrigerator cars over longer distances, faster, and in bigger quantities. This made the ability for meatpacking to be national. 

Answer 2

The growth of rail networks has positively affected the meat processing industry, as it has made transport faster and more efficient. The meat is a perishable food, which must be refrigerated. Before the railroads, the marketing of meat was regionalized, since the perishable food could not be transported for long trips. That is, the railroads opened meat-consuming markets by connecting the cities of the country, in addition to having made possible the export, taking the merchandise to the ports.