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Okla. Stat. tit. 66, § 66-7

This is the official text of Okla. Stat. tit. 66, § 66-7, part of Oklahoma’s Stat. tit. 66, — part of the compiled statutory law of Oklahoma, published by the state as "Stat. tit. 66,." Browse the sections below, each linked to its official government source.

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Powers of railroad corporations

Official statutory text

Every corporation formed under this article and every railroad

corporation, authorized to construct, operate or maintain a railroad

within this state, shall be a body corporate by the name designated

in its articles, shall have perpetual succession, shall have the

Oklahoma Statutes - Title 66. Railroads Page 5

right to sue and be sued, may have a common seal and alter the same

at pleasure, and shall also have power:

First. To cause such examination and surveys for its proposed

railroad to be made, either within or without this state, as may be

necessary to the selection of the most advantageous route; and for

such purpose by its officers or agents and servants, to enter upon

the lands or waters of any person, but subject to responsibility for

all damage which shall be done thereto.

Second. To take and hold such voluntary grants of real estate

and other property, either within or without this state, as may be

made to it to aid in the construction, maintenance and accommodation

of its railroad; but the real estate received by voluntary grant

shall be held and used for the purposes of such grant only.

Third. To acquire under the provisions of this article, or by

purchase, all such real estate and other property, either within or

without this state, as may be necessary for the construction,

maintenance and operation of its railroad, and the station, depot

grounds, and other accommodations reasonably necessary to accomplish

the objects of its incorporation; to hold and use the same, to lease

or otherwise dispose of any part or parcel thereof, or sell the same

when not required for railroad uses, and no longer necessary to its

use.

Fourth. To lay out its road, not exceeding one hundred (100)

feet in width, either within or without this state, and to construct

the same; and for the purpose of cuttings and embankments and of

obtaining gravel or other material to take such land as may be

necessary for the proper construction, operation and security of the

road, and for the protection of such road from snow, and to cut down

any standing trees that may be in danger of falling on the road,

making compensation therefor as provided by law for lands taken for

the use of the corporation.

Fifth. To construct its railroad across, along, or upon any

stream of water, watercourse, street, highway, toll or wagon road,

plank road, turnpike, wharf, levee, river front, steamboat or other

public landing, or canal which its route shall intersect, or touch;

to carry any highway, street, toll, or wagon road, plank road,

turnpike, which it shall touch, intersect, or cross, over or under

its track, as may be most expedient for the public good; to change

the course or direction of any highway, street, turnpike, toll or

wagon road, or plank road, when made necessary or desirable to

secure more easy ascent or descent by reason of an embankment or cut

made in the construction of the railroad, and take land necessary

therefor: Provided, that such highway or road be not so changed

from its original course more than six (6) rods, nor its distance

lengthened more than five (5) rods.

Sixth. To cross, intersect, join, and unite its railroad with

any railroad heretofore, or hereafter constructed, at any point on

Oklahoma Statutes - Title 66. Railroads Page 6

its route, and upon the grounds of such railroad corporation, with

the necessary turnouts, sidings, and switches, and other

conveniences in furtherance of the objects of its connections. And

every corporation whose railroad is or shall be hereafter

intersected by any new railroad, shall unite with the owners of such

new railroad in forming such intersection and connections and grant

the facilities aforesaid; and if the two corporations cannot agree

upon the amount of the compensation to be made therefor, or the

points and manner of such crossings and connections, the same shall

be ascertained and determined in the manner provided by law for the
ted by any new railroad, shall unite with the owners of such

new railroad in forming such intersection and connections and grant

the facilities aforesaid; and if the two corporations cannot agree

upon the amount of the compensation to be made therefor, or the

points and manner of such crossings and connections, the same shall

be ascertained and determined in the manner provided by law for the

ascertainment and determination of damages for the taking of real

property. But no corporation which shall have obtained the right-

of-way and constructed its road at the point of intersection, before

the application for the appointment of commissioners may be made

shall be required to alter the grade or change the location of its

road, or be required to bear any part of the expense of making and

maintaining such crossings.

Seventh. To have and use equal room, ground, rights, privileges

and conveniences for tracks, switches, sidings and turnouts upon any

levee, river bank or front, steamboat or other public landing, and

upon any street, block, alley, square, or public ground within any

incorporated town or city, any charter or ordinance of any such town

or city to the contrary notwithstanding; and to accomplish this, may

adjust, with other corporations, the ground to be occupied by each

with such tracks, switches, sidings and turnouts; and if such

corporations cannot agree upon such adjustment, and the amount of

compensation to be paid for the purchase or necessary change of

location and removal of any track previously laid, the same shall be

ascertained and determined, and the common, mutual and separate

rights adjusted in the manner provided by law for the ascertainment

and determination of damages for the taking of real property. The

commissioners provided by law may employ a competent engineer, and

define, locate and plat the ground and assign to each corporation

the part for the tracks and other conveniences for each, and may

require the removal or purchase of tracks previously laid, so as to

settle justly the rights of each corporation upon such ground, and

assess the damages to be paid under the law providing for the taking

of real property.

Eighth. To take and convey persons or property over their

railroad by the power or force of steam or of animals, or by any

mechanical power either within or without this state, and to receive

compensation therefor, and to do all the business incident to

railroad corporations.

Ninth. To erect and maintain all necessary and convenient

buildings, stations, fixtures and machinery for the accommodation

and use of their passengers, freight and business, subject to the

statutes in relation thereto.

Oklahoma Statutes - Title 66. Railroads Page 7

Tenth. To regulate the time and manner in which passengers and

property shall be transported, and the compensation to be paid

therefor.

Eleventh. To have all the rights, privileges, immunities and

powers vested or accrued by and pursuant to the Oklahoma General

Corporation Act, Section 1001 et seq. of Title 18 of the Oklahoma

Statutes.

R.L. 1910, § 1382. Amended by Laws 1997, c. 29, § 1, eff. Nov. 1,

1997.

Status: in_force · Read it on the official government site

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About this page: Statute text is reproduced from official government publishers via the Open US Law dataset (Vaquill AI, snapshot v2026.08, CC BY 4.0). Primary legislative text like this is public domain under the government-edicts doctrine (Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, 2020). We link every section back to its official source so you can verify it independently.