{"data":{"id":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-66-66-7","jurisdiction":"us-ok","citation":"Okla. Stat. tit. 66, § 66-7","heading":"Powers of railroad corporations","body":"Every corporation formed under this article and every railroad\n\ncorporation, authorized to construct, operate or maintain a railroad\n\nwithin this state, shall be a body corporate by the name designated\n\nin its articles, shall have perpetual succession, shall have the\n\nright to sue and be sued, may have a common seal and alter the same\n\nat pleasure, and shall also have power:\n\nFirst. To cause such examination and surveys for its proposed\n\nrailroad to be made, either within or without this state, as may be\n\nnecessary to the selection of the most advantageous route; and for\n\nsuch purpose by its officers or agents and servants, to enter upon\n\nthe lands or waters of any person, but subject to responsibility for\n\nall damage which shall be done thereto.\n\nSecond. To take and hold such voluntary grants of real estate\n\nand other property, either within or without this state, as may be\n\nmade to it to aid in the construction, maintenance and accommodation\n\nof its railroad; but the real estate received by voluntary grant\n\nshall be held and used for the purposes of such grant only.\n\nThird. To acquire under the provisions of this article, or by\n\npurchase, all such real estate and other property, either within or\n\nwithout this state, as may be necessary for the construction,\n\nmaintenance and operation of its railroad, and the station, depot\n\ngrounds, and other accommodations reasonably necessary to accomplish\n\nthe objects of its incorporation; to hold and use the same, to lease\n\nor otherwise dispose of any part or parcel thereof, or sell the same\n\nwhen not required for railroad uses, and no longer necessary to its\n\nuse.\n\nFourth. To lay out its road, not exceeding one hundred (100)\n\nfeet in width, either within or without this state, and to construct\n\nthe same; and for the purpose of cuttings and embankments and of\n\nobtaining gravel or other material to take such land as may be\n\nnecessary for the proper construction, operation and security of the\n\nroad, and for the protection of such road from snow, and to cut down\n\nany standing trees that may be in danger of falling on the road,\n\nmaking compensation therefor as provided by law for lands taken for\n\nthe use of the corporation.\n\nFifth. To construct its railroad across, along, or upon any\n\nstream of water, watercourse, street, highway, toll or wagon road,\n\nplank road, turnpike, wharf, levee, river front, steamboat or other\n\npublic landing, or canal which its route shall intersect, or touch;\n\nto carry any highway, street, toll, or wagon road, plank road,\n\nturnpike, which it shall touch, intersect, or cross, over or under\n\nits track, as may be most expedient for the public good; to change\n\nthe course or direction of any highway, street, turnpike, toll or\n\nwagon road, or plank road, when made necessary or desirable to\n\nsecure more easy ascent or descent by reason of an embankment or cut\n\nmade in the construction of the railroad, and take land necessary\n\ntherefor: Provided, that such highway or road be not so changed\n\nfrom its original course more than six (6) rods, nor its distance\n\nlengthened more than five (5) rods.\n\nSixth. To cross, intersect, join, and unite its railroad with\n\nany railroad heretofore, or hereafter constructed, at any point on\n\nits route, and upon the grounds of such railroad corporation, with\n\nthe necessary turnouts, sidings, and switches, and other\n\nconveniences in furtherance of the objects of its connections. And\n\nevery corporation whose railroad is or shall be hereafter\n\nintersected by any new railroad, shall unite with the owners of such\n\nnew railroad in forming such intersection and connections and grant\n\nthe facilities aforesaid; and if the two corporations cannot agree\n\nupon the amount of the compensation to be made therefor, or the\n\npoints and manner of such crossings and connections, the same shall\n\nbe ascertained and determined in the manner provided by law for the\nted by any new railroad, shall unite with the owners of such\n\nnew railroad in forming such intersection and connections and grant\n\nthe facilities aforesaid; and if the two corporations cannot agree\n\nupon the amount of the compensation to be made therefor, or the\n\npoints and manner of such crossings and connections, the same shall\n\nbe ascertained and determined in the manner provided by law for the\n\nascertainment and determination of damages for the taking of real\n\nproperty. But no corporation which shall have obtained the right-\n\nof-way and constructed its road at the point of intersection, before\n\nthe application for the appointment of commissioners may be made\n\nshall be required to alter the grade or change the location of its\n\nroad, or be required to bear any part of the expense of making and\n\nmaintaining such crossings.\n\nSeventh. To have and use equal room, ground, rights, privileges\n\nand conveniences for tracks, switches, sidings and turnouts upon any\n\nlevee, river bank or front, steamboat or other public landing, and\n\nupon any street, block, alley, square, or public ground within any\n\nincorporated town or city, any charter or ordinance of any such town\n\nor city to the contrary notwithstanding; and to accomplish this, may\n\nadjust, with other corporations, the ground to be occupied by each\n\nwith such tracks, switches, sidings and turnouts; and if such\n\ncorporations cannot agree upon such adjustment, and the amount of\n\ncompensation to be paid for the purchase or necessary change of\n\nlocation and removal of any track previously laid, the same shall be\n\nascertained and determined, and the common, mutual and separate\n\nrights adjusted in the manner provided by law for the ascertainment\n\nand determination of damages for the taking of real property. The\n\ncommissioners provided by law may employ a competent engineer, and\n\ndefine, locate and plat the ground and assign to each corporation\n\nthe part for the tracks and other conveniences for each, and may\n\nrequire the removal or purchase of tracks previously laid, so as to\n\nsettle justly the rights of each corporation upon such ground, and\n\nassess the damages to be paid under the law providing for the taking\n\nof real property.\n\nEighth. To take and convey persons or property over their\n\nrailroad by the power or force of steam or of animals, or by any\n\nmechanical power either within or without this state, and to receive\n\ncompensation therefor, and to do all the business incident to\n\nrailroad corporations.\n\nNinth. To erect and maintain all necessary and convenient\n\nbuildings, stations, fixtures and machinery for the accommodation\n\nand use of their passengers, freight and business, subject to the\n\nstatutes in relation thereto.\n\nTenth. To regulate the time and manner in which passengers and\n\nproperty shall be transported, and the compensation to be paid\n\ntherefor.\n\nEleventh. To have all the rights, privileges, immunities and\n\npowers vested or accrued by and pursuant to the Oklahoma General\n\nCorporation Act, Section 1001 et seq. of Title 18 of the Oklahoma\n\nStatutes.\n\nR.L. 1910, § 1382. Amended by Laws 1997, c. 29, § 1, eff. Nov. 1,\n\n1997.","path":["OK Code","Title 66"],"source_url":"https://www.oklegislature.gov/OK_Statutes/CompleteTitles/os66.pdf","current_through":"2026-08-14","vintage":"open-us-law v2026.08, retrieved 2026-09-14","retrieved_at":"2026-09-14T18:32:36Z","sha256":"a9f8c800561ca3eda89257a79d357dd749acef991f1e5ef4a4ed0fd6dc4d3e0b","source_id":"us-ok","stale":false,"prev":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-66-66-66","next":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-66-66-7.1"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}