§ 23-12-303 - Connections or crossings with other railroads -- Compensation -- Damages. - Arkansas Statutes

23-12-303. Connections or crossings with other railroads -- Compensation -- Damages.

(a) (1) Every railroad corporation created and organized under the laws of this state or created and organized under the laws of any other state or the United States and operating a railroad in this state shall have the power to cross, intersect, join, or unite its railroad with any other railroad at any point on its route and upon the grounds and right-of-way of the other railroad company with the necessary turnouts, sidings, and switches and other conveniences in furtherance of the object of its construction.

(2) Every railroad company whose railroad is or shall be crossed, joined, or intersected by any new railroad shall unite with the owners and corporation of the new railroad in forming the crossing, intersection, and connection and shall grant to the railroads so crossing, intersecting, or uniting all the necessary facilities for that purpose as aforesaid.

(b) If the two (2) corporations cannot agree upon the amount of compensation to be made for the purposes set forth in subsection (a) of this section or the points or manner of the crossing, junctions, or intersections, the compensation shall be ascertained and determined by a court of competent jurisdiction in the same manner as provided for the ascertainment of damages for right-of-way for railroads.

(c) Any railroad company violating any of the provisions of this section shall forfeit and pay to the company injured thereby double the amount of damages which the injured company may have sustained, to be recovered in any court of competent jurisdiction.