While railways have made an important contribution in all regions of the country, Quebec remains the birthplace of the railway in Canada and home to the nation's first five public railways: the Champlain & St. Lawrence Rail Road,1836, the Montreal & Lachine Railroad in 1847, the St. Lawrence & Industry Village Railroad in 1850, the St. Lawrence & Atlantic Railroad, in 1852, and the Grand Trunk Railway of Canada in 1853.
La contribution ferroviaire est importante partout au pays, mais le Québec demeure le berceau du rail canadien avec l'inauguration de nombreux chemins de fer publics, dont les cinq premiers à voir le jour au pays: le Champlain & St. Lawrence Railroad en 1836, le Montreal & Lachine Railroad en 1847, le St. Lawrence & Village of Industry Railroad en 1850, le St. Lawrence & Atlantic Railroad en 1852, et le Grand Trunk Railway of Canada en 1853.