Railroad stations provided an essential service to large and small communities. In Northumberland County, the introduction of the railway as a new technological advance emerged in the 1850s. The railway allowed for the rapid movement of people, products, and the mail, challenging watercraft transportation services for long distance, and eventually supplanting horse drawn carriages, coaches, and wagons for local needs. Three train stations served Cramahe Township at the height of the railway industry - the Grand Trunk, the Canadian Pacific, and the Canadian Northern. CN (Canadian National) also played a vital role in the history of Colborne's railways.