Railways and canals were both important transportation systems in the 19th century and prior to that. The development of canals in the 18th and early 19th centuries greatly improved transportation of goods, but they had several limitations such as the fact that they were slow, required a lot of manual labor, and were only able to transport goods over relatively short distances.
Railways, on the other hand, were faster, more efficient, and able to transport goods over much greater distances than canals. They also allowed for the transportation of much larger and heavier loads than canals.
It is possible that railways could have been developed without the prior existence of canals, but the growth of the canal network in the 18th and early 19th century likely played a role in the development of rail transport by creating a demand for faster and more efficient transportation systems. Additionally, the technical knowledge and experience gained from building canals was likely useful in the development of rail transport.
In summary, while it is theoretically possible for railways to be developed without canals, canals played an important role in the development and the demand for a more efficient transportation system like the railway.