{"data":{"id":"us-ky/krs-277.060","jurisdiction":"us-ky","citation":"KRS 277.060","heading":"Powers and duties of railroad companies as to construction, alteration and","body":"maintenance of railroad line.\n(1) Every railroad company may:\n(a) Cause such examinations and surveys to be made as are necessary to the\nselection of the most advantageous route for its proposed railroad, and for that\npurpose its officers, agents and servants may enter upon the property of any\nperson, subject to liability for all damage done by them to such property.\n(b) Receive, hold and take possession of any voluntary grants and donations of\nproperty made to it to aid in the construction, maintenance and operation of\nthe road; any real property so received shall be held and used for the purposes\nof the grant or donation only.\n(c) Purchase, hold, take possession of and use all franchises and property\nnecessary for the construction, maintenance and accommodation of its line of\nrailroads, but the same shall not be taken or appropriated without the consent\nof the owner until the compensation to be made therefor is agreed upon or\nascertained, and paid or deposited, as provided by the Eminent Domain Act of\nKentucky.\n(d) Lay out and construct its road not exceeding one hundred (100) feet in width,\nunless more than one (1) track is laid, in which case the width may be\nextended not exceeding fifty (50) feet for each additional track.\n(e) Take, in the manner provided by the Eminent Domain Act of Kentucky such\nlands in the vicinity of or adjacent to its road as are necessary for cuts or\nembankments, the procurement of stone, gravel or other  materials, or for\ndraining the roadbed.\n(f) Change, when it deems proper, the gauge of its road.\n(g) Change the location or grade of any portion of its road for any reasonable\ncause, but shall not, except as otherwise provided by law, depart from the\ngeneral route prescribed in the articles of incorporation.\n(h) Construct its road upon or across any private road, highway, street, lane or\nalley, and across any railroad, canal or watercourse.\n(2) Every railroad company shall restore to its former condition, as near as may be, any\nprivate road, highway, street, lane, alley, railroad, canal or watercourse upon or\nacross which it has constructed its road, and shall maintain the same in that\ncondition within the right-of-way of the railroad company. It shall construct suitable\nroad and street crossings for the passage of traffic by putting down planks or other\nsuitable material between and on each side of the rails, the top of which shall be at\nleast as high as the top of the rails.\n(3) If the railroad is construc ted upon any public street or alley, the construction shall\nbe upon such terms and conditions as are agreed upon between the company and the\nauthorities of the city, and the road shall not be constructed until compensation is\nmade, either by agreement or i n the manner provided by the Eminent Domain Act\nof Kentucky, to the owners of the property adjoining those parts of the street or\nalley on which the road is to be constructed.\n(4) Any railroad company may build such spurs, switches, tracks or branches as a re\nnecessary to conduct its business or develop business along its line of road, and for\nthat purpose shall have the same powers and be subject to the same restrictions and\nliabilities as are conferred or imposed upon it for the construction of its main line.","path":["KRS Chapter 277"],"source_url":"https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=13995","current_through":"Includes enactments through the 2026 Regular Session","vintage":"09/05/2026","retrieved_at":"2026-09-05T20:53:28Z","sha256":"badd318726e21b8cfd16063f3e37083c2285b0664433ed9f9e0fe3ab347ec616","source_id":"us-ky","stale":false,"prev":"us-ky/krs-277.050","next":"us-ky/krs-277.065"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}