Sec. 13b-204. (Formerly Sec. 16-55). General duties as to railroads. - Connecticut Statutes

      Sec. 13b-204. (Formerly Sec. 16-55). General duties as to railroads. The Commissioner of Transportation may at any time, and on the complaint in writing of five of the stockholders or creditors of any railroad company assigning sufficient reason shall, examine the railroad of such company and all its appurtenances, engines and cars, and its bylaws and rules; and, in such examination, shall pass over the road at a rate not exceeding six miles an hour, shall stop at each culvert, bridge and piling and examine the same, and shall examine the rails and ties in each mile, after notifying the company in writing of the time of such examination. He shall notify the company to make all repairs required within a time limited; shall make such rules as to platforms and outbuildings at stations as are for the public interest; may prescribe the time during which any ticket office shall be open for the sale of tickets, and no company neglecting to comply with such order shall receive more than the regular ticket price for fare; shall make necessary orders for compelling companies to furnish comfortable seats for passengers and for regulating the manner in which companies shall manage their engines and cars at highway crossings; shall direct that suitable warning boards be put up at dangerous crossings; may require companies to maintain a gate across a highway at any crossing and to provide an agent to open or close the same; shall, when two roads meet or intersect, at the request of the directors of the company owning either, prescribe rules relative to the exchange of passengers and baggage; and may cause any portion of the statutes relating to railroads to be posted as they may direct.

      (1949 Rev., S. 5445; 1971, P.A. 871, S. 90; P.A. 75-486, S. 1, 69; P.A. 77-614, S. 571, 587, 610.)

      History: 1971 act deleted provision that printed copies of Sec. 53-100 be kept posted at all railroad stations; P.A. 75-486 substituted "public utilities control authority" for "commission", i.e. public utilities commission, effective December 1, 1975; P.A. 77-614 substituted "commissioner of transportation" for "public utilities control authority", effective January 1, 1979; in 1981 Sec. 16-55 transferred to Sec. 13b-204.

      See Secs. 13b-344 and 13b-345 re respective duties of towns, railroad companies and Transportation Commissioner with respect to grade crossings.

      Annotation to former section 16-55:

      Cited. 122 C. 293.