 On 16 April 1853, India's first passenger railway line was established, connecting Bombay to the neighbouring town of Thana (now Thane).During the American Civil War (1861–1865), the city became the world's chief cotton-trading market, resulting in a boom in the economy that subsequently enhanced the city's stature.The opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 transformed Bombay into one of the largest seaports on the Arabian Sea.