What were the advantages and disadvantages of government subsidies for the railroads?

The advantages and disadvantages were the following:

Explanation:

Railroads would often sell the land and make money out of the property for which the people were paying (their tax money goes to the government, which gave land grants). We even robbed other users of land until we found out where their tracks would end. A gain was that railroad undertakings could move further west. Granting land was a "cheap" way of subsidizing a much-desired transportation system, as it prevented new direct cash grant taxes.