| Chignecto Marine Transport Railway | |
|---|---|
 The southern dock of the Chignecto Marine Transport Railway, on the Missaguash River, Fort Lawrence, Nova Scotia | |
| Overview | |
| Status | Never completed |
| Owner | Chignecto Marine Transport Railway Company |
| Coordinates | 45°59′50″N 64°0′31″W / 45.99722°N 64.00861°W |
| Service | |
| Type | Portage railway |
| History | |
| Commenced | 1888 |
| Construction halted | 1891 |
| Technical | |
| Line length | 17 mi (27 km) |
The Chignecto Marine Transport Railway (sometimes referred to as the Chignecto Ship Railway or Baie Verte Ship Railway) is a historic Canadian portage railway located in Cumberland County, Nova Scotia.
With Canadian Confederation in 1867, a variety of canal-building projects were undertaken throughout the new country by the new federal government, including renewed interest in a canal that could transit the isthmus at Chignecto. The Chignecto Ship Railway project was first proposed in 1875 by notable civil engineer Henry Ketchum as a means to transport ships across the Isthmus of Chignecto, shortening the sailing distance between the Bay of Fundy and the Gulf of St. Lawrence by avoiding the necessity of sailing 500 nmi (930 km) around Nova Scotia. A canal had been proposed for the isthmus but financing was proving difficult to secure. Ketchum submitted his proposal to the Government of Canada in 1881. In 1882 the Chignecto Marine Transport Railway Company was incorporated as a federally chartered railway. It was financed by Baring Brothers and Company, London.