General Laws of Massachusetts - Chapter 160 Railroads

• Massachusetts General Laws - Definitions - Chapter 160, Section 1
  The following words as used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise requires, shall have the following meanings: “Board of aldermen” or “selectmen” includes the...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Boston; tribunal acting in place of county commissioners - Chapter 160, Section 2
  The duties imposed by this chapter upon county commissioners as a tribunal of original jurisdiction relative to the fixing of routes or to the location,...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Application - Chapter 160, Section 3
  Railroad corporations established in the commonwealth shall be subject to this chapter and chapter one hundred and fifty-nine which, so far as inconsistent with charters...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Corporation chartered concurrently with another state - Chapter 160, Section 4
  A railroad corporation chartered by the concurrent legislation of this and other states shall, as regards any portion of its railroad lying within this commonwealth,...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Corporation or trustees operating railroad of another - Chapter 160, Section 5
  If a railroad which has been laid out and constructed by one corporation is lawfully maintained and operated by another corporation, the latter corporation shall...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Purchase of railroad by commonwealth - Chapter 160, Section 6
  This chapter and chapter one hundred and fifty-nine shall not impair the rights of the commonwealth as asserted or reserved in previous statutes, and the...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Taking by eminent domain - Chapter 160, Section 7
  The commonwealth may, at any time after one year’s written notice to a railroad corporation, take its railroad, franchise and other property by eminent domain...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Map and engineer’s report to accompany petition for charter - Chapter 160, Section 8
  A petition to the general court for a charter for a railroad corporation shall not be acted upon, unless accompanied by such a map of...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Depositary for plans and profiles - Chapter 160, Section 9
  Plans and profiles presented to a committee of the general court in the hearing of a petition for such a charter shall be deposited by...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Notice of route - Chapter 160, Section 10
  Such petition shall not be acted upon, until notice thereof has been published according to law, designating the route with such certainty as to give...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Limits specified in charter - Chapter 160, Section 11
  Every charter shall confine the railroad within the limits indicated by the notice required in the preceding section, shall specify the several cities and towns...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Fixing of route - Chapter 160, Section 12
  The route of the railroad of a corporation established by special charter, and of its branches and extensions, shall be fixed according to sections twenty...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Formation - Chapter 160, Section 13
  Fifteen or more persons may associate themselves by a written agreement of association with the intention of forming a railroad corporation.
• Massachusetts General Laws - Contents of agreement of association - Chapter 160, Section 14
  The agreement of association shall state: (a) That the subscribers thereto associate themselves with the intention of forming a railroad corporation. (b) The corporate name...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Associates’ authority - Chapter 160, Section 15
  The associates may from time to time, at a meeting called therefor, reduce the amount of the capital stock, but not below the limit prescribed...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Publication of agreement of association - Chapter 160, Section 16
  The directors, before fixing the route of the railroad as hereinafter provided, shall publish a copy of the agreement of association in a newspaper, if...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Application for certificate of public convenience and necessity - Chapter 160, Section 17
  After compliance with the provisions of sections thirteen to sixteen, inclusive, and within thirty days after the first publication of notice of the agreement of...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Map; engineer’s report - Chapter 160, Section 18
  The directors shall prepare a map of the route on an appropriate scale, with a profile thereof on a vertical scale of ten to one...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Submission of map and report to local officials - Chapter 160, Section 19
  The directors shall submit said map and report to the board of aldermen of every city and to the selectmen of every town named in...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Fixing of route by local officials; certificate fee - Chapter 160, Section 20
  If the board of aldermen of a city or the selectmen of a town named in the agreement of association, after such notice, exhibition of...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Fixing of route by department upon failure to agree - Chapter 160, Section 21
  If they fail so to agree, the directors may petition the department to fix the route in said city or town; and the department, after...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Spurs, branches and connecting and terminal tracks - Chapter 160, Section 22
  The route fixed under the two preceding sections may include such spurs, branches and connecting and terminal tracks in any city or town as may...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Certificate of facts of subscription - Chapter 160, Section 23
  When the amount of capital stock named in the agreement of association has been subscribed in good faith by responsible persons, and ten per cent...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Certificate of compliance; filing; certificate of incorporation - Chapter 160, Section 24
  When it is shown to the satisfaction of the department that the requirements of this chapter preliminary to the incorporation of a railroad corporation have...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Change in amount of capital stock; change of gauge - Chapter 160, Section 25
  If the capital stock fixed in the agreement of association is found to be insufficient for the construction and equipment of the railroad, the corporation...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Limit upon time to acquire certificate of incorporation - Chapter 160, Section 26
  The agreement of association, and all proceedings thereunder, including the fixing of the route, shall be void, unless the certificate of incorporation is issued within...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Limit upon time to construct railroad - Chapter 160, Section 27
  If a corporation does not begin the construction of its railroad and expend thereon at least ten per cent of the amount of its original...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Narrow gauge railroads; paid-up capital stock - Chapter 160, Section 28
  A corporation which has a railroad of the gauge of three feet shall not begin running its trains, until its paid-up capital stock is equal...
• Massachusetts General Laws - First meeting of incorporators; notice; waiver of notice - Chapter 160, Section 29
  Upon the issue of such certificate of incorporation, the first meeting of the incorporators shall be called by a notice signed by a majority of...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Adoption of by-laws; election of directors - Chapter 160, Section 30
  At such first meeting, or at any adjournment thereof, the incorporators shall organize by the adoption of by-laws, and by the election, by ballot, of...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Managing officers - Chapter 160, Section 31
  The business of every corporation shall be managed and conducted by a president, a board of not less than five directors, a clerk, a treasurer...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Selection of officers; treasurer’s bond; clerk’s qualifications and duties; terms of office; vacancies - Chapter 160, Section 32
  The directors shall be elected annually by the stockholders by ballot, and the president shall be elected annually by and from the board of directors,...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Stockholders’ meeting - Chapter 160, Section 33
  There shall be an annual meeting of the stockholders, and the time and place of holding it, and the manner of conducting it, shall be...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Special meetings - Chapter 160, Section 34
  A special meeting of the stockholders shall be called, and a written notice thereof, stating the time, place and purpose of the meeting, given by...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Voting by corporation upon its own stock - Chapter 160, Section 35
  A railroad corporation shall not, directly or indirectly, vote upon any share of its own stock.
• Massachusetts General Laws - Voting rights of stockholders - Chapter 160, Section 36
  Stockholders entitled to vote shall have one vote for each share of stock owned by them. Stockholders may vote either in person or by proxy....
• Massachusetts General Laws - Meetings of directors - Chapter 160, Section 37
  Meetings of the board of directors may be held within or without the commonwealth. Any meeting of the board of directors shall be a legal...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Certificate - Chapter 160, Section 38
  Each stockholder shall be entitled to a certificate, which shall be signed by the president and by the treasurer of the corporation, or by such...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Assessment; failure to pay assessment - Chapter 160, Section 39
  The directors may from time to time assess upon each share such amounts, not exceeding in all one hundred dollars on a share, or the...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Collection of assessment - Chapter 160, Section 40
  If a subscriber neglects to pay his assessment for thirty days as provided in the preceding section, the directors may elect to proceed at law...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Increase of capital stock; purposes - Chapter 160, Section 41
  A railroad corporation, for the purpose of building a branch or extension, or of aiding in the construction of another railroad, or of taking stock...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Corporation consolidated with one in another state; unauthorized capital stock increase - Chapter 160, Section 42
  If a railroad corporation owning a railroad in this commonwealth and consolidated with a corporation owning a railroad in another state increases its capital stock,...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Issue of preferred stock - Chapter 160, Section 43
  A railroad corporation organized under the laws of this commonwealth, or organized under the laws of this commonwealth and of any other state or states...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Designation of preferred stock; filing of record of proceedings; contents of certificate - Chapter 160, Section 44
  Each class of preferred stock issued under authority of the preceding section shall be designated by a name approved by the department to distinguish it...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Voting power of preferred stock; amount of stock - Chapter 160, Section 45
  Any preferred stock issued under authority of section forty-three shall have the same voting power as the common stock, except that, in any case, there...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Offer of preferred stock to common shareholders - Chapter 160, Section 46
  Upon any issue of preferred stock the new shares shall, unless the common stockholders shall, with the approval of the department, otherwise provide, first be...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Issue of shares, bonds, notes or other evidences of indebtedness - Chapter 160, Section 47
  A railroad corporation may issue shares of capital stock, bonds, notes or other evidences of indebtedness, for the purpose of funding its floating debt or...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Approval by department of issue - Chapter 160, Section 48
  Before any railroad corporation shall issue any shares of capital stock or any bonds, notes or other evidences of indebtedness payable at periods of more...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Exchange for registered bonds - Chapter 160, Section 49
  At the request of the owner or holder of any coupon bonds lawfully issued, the railroad corporation issuing them may issue registered bonds in exchange...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Validity - Chapter 160, Section 50
  All bonds or notes issued by a railroad corporation shall be valid and binding, although negotiated and sold by it or its agents at less...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Default on mortgage; contract to allow those in possession to operate - Chapter 160, Section 51
  If a railroad corporation, having executed a mortgage of its property, rights and privileges, or of a part thereof, to trustees for the benefit of...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Trustees in possession of railroad; annual meeting - Chapter 160, Section 52
  Trustees in possession of a railroad under a mortgage shall annually call a meeting of the bondholders or creditors for whose security they hold the...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Trustees in possession of railroad; election and confirmation of trustees - Chapter 160, Section 53
  At the annual meeting held under the preceding section, the bondholders or creditors, by a majority in interest vote, may, in person or by proxy,...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Trustees in possession of railroad; jurisdiction of supreme judicial court - Chapter 160, Section 54
  The supreme judicial court shall have jurisdiction in equity of all cases arising under the two preceding sections, and of all questions arising out of...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Purchaser under foreclosure - Chapter 160, Section 55
  A purchaser of a railroad at a sale under a valid foreclosure of a legal mortgage thereof, and his successors in title, shall, relative to...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Necessity of payment of par for shares; limit upon capital stock - Chapter 160, Section 56
  A railroad corporation shall not declare any stock or scrip dividend or divide the proceeds of the sale of stock or scrip among its stockholders;...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Liability for issuing void stock - Chapter 160, Section 57
  A certificate of stock or scrip issued in violation of the preceding section shall be void; and each director of the corporation issuing it shall...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Use of each other’s railroad - Chapter 160, Section 58
  If a railroad constructed after April eighth, eighteen hundred and seventy-two, meets another railroad which terminates in the same city or town, or lawfully crosses...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Service provided to other railroad; compensation - Chapter 160, Section 59
  If two corporations are authorized as in the preceding section each to enter its railroad upon, unite the same with and use the railroad of...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Rates for services for connecting company - Chapter 160, Section 60
  If the corporations cannot agree upon the stated periods at which the cars of one shall be drawn over the railroad of the other, and...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Foreign railroads’ privilege as connecting road - Chapter 160, Section 61
  A railroad corporation created by the laws of another state shall have all the rights and privileges relative to connecting railroads, under the three preceding...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Lease by one connecting railroad to the other - Chapter 160, Section 62
  Two railroad corporations, incorporated under the laws of the commonwealth, and whose railroads enter upon or connect with each other, may contract that either corporation...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Term of lease - Chapter 160, Section 63
  A railroad corporation shall not lease or contract for the operation of its railroad for a period of more than ninety-nine years without the consent...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Taking securities of other corporations - Chapter 160, Section 64
  A railroad corporation, unless authorized by the general court or by the six following sections, shall not directly or indirectly subscribe for, take or hold...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Telegraph company stock - Chapter 160, Section 65
  A railroad corporation may hold stock in a telegraph company, whose telegraph connects two or more places on the railroad, to an amount not exceeding...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Holding stock in railroad car and equipment companies - Chapter 160, Section 65A
  A railroad corporation may hold stock in companies which manufacture, construct, sell, assign, lease, repair, equip, supply, maintain or deal in railroad cars and equipment...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Real estate, warehouse, industrial facility, and industrial development companies stock - Chapter 160, Section 65B
  A railroad corporation may hold stock in real estate, warehouse, industrial facility, and industrial development companies but in no event shall such holdings exceed, in...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Guaranty of steamship company bonds - Chapter 160, Section 66
  A railroad corporation may guarantee, to an amount not exceeding five per cent of its capital stock, the bonds of any corporation incorporated in the...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Associate in formation of grain elevator corporation - Chapter 160, Section 67
  A railroad corporation may become an associate under chapter one hundred and fifty-six in the formation of a corporation for the purpose of erecting and...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Acquisition, retention, sale or guarantee of other’s bonds or notes - Chapter 160, Section 68
  A corporation owning a railroad connecting with another railroad, both of which are wholly constructed, or a corporation owning a railroad leasing, operating or controlling...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Powers of railroad corporations; aid in construction of branch or connecting railroads - Chapter 160, Section 69
  A railroad corporation may aid in the construction of any branch or connecting railroad within the limits of the commonwealth, whether connecting by a railroad...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Terminal, express and subsidiary companies; interest of railroads in stock and securities - Chapter 160, Section 70
  A railroad corporation may acquire, hold, vote, sell and negotiate the stock and securities of terminal companies organized under the laws of the commonwealth, and...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Steamship companies, ferries, ferry boats, docks, motor vehicles and aircraft - Chapter 160, Section 70A
  A railroad corporation may acquire, hold, maintain and operate steamship companies, ferries, ferry boats and docks, and either directly or through subsidiaries, may own, maintain...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Prohibition after 1907 - Chapter 160, Section 71
  No corporation owning, leasing or operating a railroad wholly or partly in the commonwealth, nor any person or corporation acting in its interest shall, directly...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Application for consolidation; notice; hearing; determination - Chapter 160, Section 72
  The presidents, or a majority of the boards of directors, or the holders of not less than one third in interest of the capital stock...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Rates and facilities of consolidated railroads - Chapter 160, Section 73
  In case of any lease, purchase and sale or consolidation as authorized by the preceding section, no rate, fare or charge for transportation of passengers...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Violations; penalties - Chapter 160, Section 74
  A railroad corporation, which violates any provision of section seventy-one or seventy-two, shall be punished by a fine of ten thousand dollars; and any officer...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Determination of method of crossing highways - Chapter 160, Section 75
  No railroad corporation shall purchase or take by eminent domain or enter upon or use, except for making surveys, any land or other property for...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Estimate of cost; subscription for capital stock; certificate of compliance - Chapter 160, Section 76
  No railroad corporation shall take by eminent domain or enter upon or use, except for making surveys, land or other property for the construction of...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Consent to locate within three miles of state house - Chapter 160, Section 77
  No railroad or part thereof which is operated by steam power shall be located or constructed within three miles of the state house without the...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Authorized purchases - Chapter 160, Section 78
  A railroad corporation may purchase land for the location of its railroad within the limits of the route fixed under section twenty or twenty-one, and...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Filing of descriptions with department - Chapter 160, Section 79
  The corporation may, within one year after it has purchased land for railroad purposes, file with the commissioners of each county where such land is...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Proceedings to fix location of land - Chapter 160, Section 80
  If a railroad corporation is not able to obtain by agreement with the owner any land necessary for the location of its railroad, it may...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Change of location - Chapter 160, Section 81
  If a railroad corporation is not able to obtain by agreement with the owner any land necessary for the location of its railroad, it shall...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Taking of land - Chapter 160, Section 82
  After the location of the railroad has been finally determined under the two preceding sections, the corporation may take any land within such location by...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Taking of land for purposes other than a railroad - Chapter 160, Section 83
  If a railroad corporation requires land for any of the purposes specified in section seventy-eight other than for the location of its railroad not more...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Lands or rights of other railroads - Chapter 160, Section 84
  A railroad corporation may purchase, or take in the manner provided in the preceding section, from time to time, any lands or rights belonging to...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Purposes for change - Chapter 160, Section 85
  A railroad corporation, with the written approval of the department, obtained upon petition, and after notice to all persons interested, and a hearing, may, for...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Change of direction - Chapter 160, Section 86
  A railroad corporation, having taken land for its railroad, may vary the direction of said railroad in the city or town where such land is...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Limitation upon tax exemption - Chapter 160, Section 87
  Land, outside the location of the railroad five rods in width, taken or purchased for railroad, depot or station purposes shall not be exempt from
• Massachusetts General Laws - Prescriptive rights of adjoining landholders - Chapter 160, Section 88
  No length of possession or occupancy of land, which belongs to a railroad corporation, by an owner or occupier of adjoining land shall create in...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Description of locations of railroads; rules and regulations - Chapter 160, Section 89
  The department shall, from time to time, prescribe rules relative to the form in which all descriptions of locations of railroads shall be made, the...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Fencing of railroad property - Chapter 160, Section 90
  After a railroad corporation has taken land in the manner hereinbefore authorized, it shall, before constructing the railroad, and, upon request of the owner or...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Eminent domain; order securing landowners - Chapter 160, Section 91
  At the time of awarding damages to landowners under chapter seventy-nine, the county commissioners shall in addition thereto order the corporation to construct and maintain...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Enforcement of order securing landowners - Chapter 160, Section 92
  If the corporation neglects to comply with such order, the supreme judicial court, upon application of the landowner interested in its execution, or his assigns,...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Fences and gates along length of railroad - Chapter 160, Section 93
  Every railroad corporation shall erect and maintain suitable fences, with convenient bars, gates or openings therein, upon both sides of the entire length of its...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Fences along railroad tracks in cities and towns - Chapter 160, Section 93A
  If the mayor of a city or the selectmen of a town where a railroad corporation is authorized to lay and use tracks are of...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Recovery by railroad from person required to fence - Chapter 160, Section 94
  If a person other than a railroad corporation is required by law or contract to erect or maintain fences along a part of the line...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Grade separation of railroad tracks by agreement - Chapter 160, Section 95
  If two or more railroad corporations whose tracks cross each other at the same level agree to separate the grades, they may apply to the...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Consent for one railroad to cross another or to cross navigable water - Chapter 160, Section 96
  A railroad shall not be constructed across another railroad at the same level without the written consent of the department, nor across navigable or tide...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Highway crossings; obstructions; grade separations - Chapter 160, Section 97
  A railroad laid out across a public way shall be so constructed as not to obstruct the same; and, unless the county commissioners and the...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Over-passes and under-passes; height - Chapter 160, Section 98
  If the railroad is constructed to pass over the way, a sufficient space shall be left under the railroad conveniently to accommodate the travel on...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Material used to surface bridges and approaches - Chapter 160, Section 99
  Cities and towns may make agreements with railroad corporations in regard to the kind of material, form of construction and payment of the cost of...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Alteration of grade of highway; decree of county commissioners; security - Chapter 160, Section 100
  A railroad corporation may raise or lower a public way to permit its railroad to pass over or under the same; but before proceeding to...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Alteration of course of highway; decree of county commissioners; security; eminent domain - Chapter 160, Section 101
  A railroad corporation may alter the course of a public way to facilitate the crossing thereof by its railroad or to permit its railroad to...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Level grade crossing of highway - Chapter 160, Section 102
  If a railroad is laid out across a public way, the county commissioners, or the department of highways in the case of a state highway,...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Level grade crossing; rails protected to enable easy passage - Chapter 160, Section 103
  A railroad corporation whose railroad is crossed by a public way at the same level shall, at its own expense, so guard or protect its...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Proceedings to lay out public way across railroad - Chapter 160, Section 104
  A public way may be laid out across a railroad previously constructed, if the county commissioners, or the department of highways in the case of...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Building, equipment or machinery moving; duty of railroad; reimbursement of costs - Chapter 160, Section 104A
  Whenever a person wishes to move a building, equipment or machinery over the right of way of a railroad corporation at the location of the...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Alteration of course of canal - Chapter 160, Section 105
  A railroad corporation may, with the consent of a canal corporation, alter the course of a canal or of a feeder to a canal, which...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Remedy of obstruction or for failure to repair - Chapter 160, Section 106
  If, upon application to the county commissioners by the board of aldermen or selectmen, and after notice to the corporation which owns or operates a...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Construction and repair of bridges, approaches and abutments - Chapter 160, Section 107
  Every railroad corporation shall, except as provided in sections sixty-five to eighty-two, inclusive, of chapter one hundred and fifty-nine, at its own expense, construct, maintain...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Jurisdiction of county commissioners - Chapter 160, Section 108
  County commissioners shall have original jurisdiction of questions relative to obstructions to public ways caused by the construction or operation of railroads.
• Massachusetts General Laws - Separation of private land; order of commissioners relative to crossing - Chapter 160, Section 109
  If a railroad lawfully laid out through land without the consent of the owner thereof separates a portion of such land from another or from...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Denial of access to private land; order for crossing by department - Chapter 160, Section 110
  If by the laying out of a railroad, or the widening thereof, a person is cut off from access to land owned by him, and...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Decisions of commissioners; appeal - Chapter 160, Section 111
  A party aggrieved by a decision or order of the county commissioners in any matter or proceeding arising under section one hundred and nine, or...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Proceedings perfecting appeal - Chapter 160, Section 112
  The appellant, to perfect the appeal, shall, within twenty days after filing the notice thereof, file with the clerk of the department a petition stating...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Appeal; hearing; department’s powers - Chapter 160, Section 113
  The department shall hear the appeal in the county where it is taken, unless the parties in writing otherwise agree. Upon such appeal, the department...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Rights of way across tracks by prescription - Chapter 160, Section 114
  No right of way across any railroad track or location which is in use for railroad purposes shall be acquired by prescription. This section shall...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Construction; additional capital stock; certificate of necessity and convenience; fee - Chapter 160, Section 115
  A railroad corporation, after having finished the construction of its railroad and put it in operation, may build a branch or extension thereof in accordance...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Switch connections with private interests - Chapter 160, Section 116
  A railroad corporation, upon the application of any shipper tendering freight for transportation, shall construct, maintain and operate upon reasonable terms switch connections with a...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Order for switch connection by department - Chapter 160, Section 117
  If any railroad corporation fails to install or operate any such switch connection with a lateral line of railroad or any such side track and...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Certification by department - Chapter 160, Section 118
  A railroad or branch or extension thereof shall not be opened for public use until the department, after an examination, certifies that all laws relative...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Filing of map and profile, tables of grade and curvature and statement of characteristics - Chapter 160, Section 119
  When a railroad or a branch or extension thereof is finished and opened for public use, the corporation by which it was constructed shall, within...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Draw tender - Chapter 160, Section 120
  Every railroad corporation shall provide for each drawbridge upon the line of its railroad an experienced draw tender, who shall have full control of the...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Position of bridge when not in use - Chapter 160, Section 121
  Every such drawbridge shall be kept closed at all times, except while open for the actual passage of vessels. The draw tender shall at all...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Passage of vessels - Chapter 160, Section 122
  The master of a vessel applying to pass such draw shall give to the draw tender a true report of his vessel’s draught, and of...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Signals indicating position of bridge - Chapter 160, Section 123
  Every drawbridge shall be equipped with conspicuous day and night signals, which shall be displayed at all times in such manner as clearly to indicate...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Gates - Chapter 160, Section 124
  The railroad corporation may erect, at a distance of five hundred feet from every drawbridge, or at such other distance as may on its application...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Precautions taken by engineer - Chapter 160, Section 125
  If a drawbridge is not furnished with such barriers, and in all cases if by reason of darkness or otherwise the barriers or signals connected...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Violations; penalty - Chapter 160, Section 126
  A railroad corporation which neglects to comply with sections one hundred and twenty-three and one hundred and twenty-five shall forfeit one hundred dollars for each...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Penalties - Chapter 160, Section 127
  Whoever violates any provisions of the seven preceding sections, shall, unless otherwise therein provided, forfeit not less than three nor more than fifty dollars. Whoever...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Drawbridges; department; exemption of railroad from compliance with law - Chapter 160, Section 127A
  The department of telecommunications and energy may exempt any railroad corporation or other person operating a railroad from compliance with any or all of the...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Abandonment of passenger station - Chapter 160, Section 128
  A railroad corporation which has established and maintained a passenger station throughout the year for five consecutive years at any point upon its railroad shall...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Discontinuance of passenger service; hearing; notice; decision of department - Chapter 160, Section 128A
  A railroad corporation which has scheduled and operated a passenger train on a regular schedule for twelve consecutive months or more, except for holidays or...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Relocation of passenger stations and freight depots - Chapter 160, Section 129
  A railroad corporation may relocate passenger stations and freight depots, with the written approval of the department and of the board of aldermen of the...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Signs indicating way stations - Chapter 160, Section 130
  Every railroad corporation shall indicate to its passengers the name of each way station by placing at or near the station a proper and conspicuous...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Compensation for use of station, railroad or grounds of one company by another - Chapter 160, Section 131
  If one railroad corporation occupies or uses, or has a right to occupy, enter upon and use, a station, railroad or grounds of another, or...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Application of business corporation to acquire, own and operate terminal facilities; notice; hearing; approval - Chapter 160, Section 131A
  Any corporation organized under chapter one hundred and fifty-six may apply to the department for an order qualifying the corporation to acquire, by purchase or...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Safety switches - Chapter 160, Section 132
  Every switch laid in a railroad track used by passenger or mixed trains shall be a safety switch of a type approved in writing by...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Protection of employees; blocking of frogs, switches and guard rails - Chapter 160, Section 133
  The frogs, switches and guard rails, except guard rails on bridges, which are in or connected with the railroad tracks operated or used by any...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Switch stands, lighting - Chapter 160, Section 133A
  Every railroad corporation shall equip with proper lights or other approved or commonly used devices all switch stands in all yards owned and maintained by...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Bridge guards - Chapter 160, Section 134
  Whenever the department shall so order, every railroad corporation shall erect and maintain, under conditions prescribed by the department, suitable bridge guards at bridges or...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Distance between sets of tracks, structures or obstructions; exemptions - Chapter 160, Section 134A
  Tracks in a yard or yard area owned and maintained by a corporation or company operating a railroad shall have a minimum distance between center...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Stopping of trains at grade crossings - Chapter 160, Section 135
  If two railroads cross each other at the same level, the engineer of every freight train and, if both railroads are used for passenger traffic,...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Grade crossings; rules and regulations - Chapter 160, Section 136
  The department shall make general regulations for all such crossings or special regulations for such particular crossings as it may designate, and in such detail...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Grade crossings; interlocking signals - Chapter 160, Section 137
  The department may, on the application of a railroad corporation whose railroad crosses another railroad at the same level, after notice to the parties and...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Warning to public - Chapter 160, Section 138
  Every railroad corporation shall cause a bell of at least thirty-five pounds in weight, and a whistle, to be placed on each locomotive engine passing...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Warning devices at crossings - Chapter 160, Section 138A
  A railroad corporation whose railroad is crossed by a public way at the same grade shall, at its own expense, install at any such grade...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Regulation by department of use of warning devices - Chapter 160, Section 139
  The department, upon petition, and after notice to the railroad corporation and a public hearing, may, for good cause shown, recommend to such railroad corporation...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Signs protecting public ways - Chapter 160, Section 140
  Every railroad corporation shall cause boards, supported by posts or otherwise at such height as to be easily seen by travelers, and not obstructing travel,...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Signs protecting a traveled place - Chapter 160, Section 141
  The board of aldermen of a city or the selectmen of a town where a traveled place is crossed by a railroad at the same...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Signs erected by municipalities - Chapter 160, Section 142
  Every county, city and town shall, except as hereinafter provided, and the department of highways shall, unless in any case it deems it unnecessary or...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Signs erected by municipality; duty to supply - Chapter 160, Section 143
  Every railroad corporation shall, within four months after receiving a written request therefor, furnish to any county, city or town in the commonwealth, or to...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Release of railroad or municipality from duty to provide signs - Chapter 160, Section 144
  When it appears that the placing of the signs prescribed by section one hundred and forty or section one hundred and forty-two or by both...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Violations; penalties - Chapter 160, Section 145
  If any county, city or town shall neglect, for sixty days, to comply with the requirements of section one hundred and forty-two, unless released therefrom...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Damaging warning signs; penalty - Chapter 160, Section 146
  Any person who unlawfully removes, throws down, injures or defaces any such sign shall be punished by a fine of not more than ten dollars,...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Gates or flashing lights at crossing of railroad and public way - Chapter 160, Section 147
  Where a railroad and a public way or travelled place cross at the same level, the department, after notice to the interested parties and a...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Reflectorizing of signs, etc., at crossings - Chapter 160, Section 147A
  All signs, signal posts, gates or other devices maintained by a railroad corporation at a grade crossing shall be reflectorized in accordance with standards prescribed...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Failure to erect signs or install gates or lights; penalty - Chapter 160, Section 148
  A railroad corporation which unreasonably neglects to comply with an order or decision made under section one hundred and forty-one or one hundred and forty-seven...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Signals at crossing of railroad above highway level - Chapter 160, Section 149
  The department may require a railroad corporation whose railroad crosses a highway by a crossing above the level of the highway to give such signal...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Obstruction of view by standing wood; petition for removal; payment for damages - Chapter 160, Section 150
  If the view of a railroad crossing or highway at grade is obstructed by standing wood in woodlands, the railroad corporation or ten citizens of...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Obstruction of public way by railroad; penalty - Chapter 160, Section 151
  A railroad corporation, or receiver or assignee thereof, or its or his servant or agent, shall not wilfully or negligently obstruct or unnecessarily or unreasonably...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Reasonable use of crossing; regulation by department - Chapter 160, Section 152
  Upon an application to the department, according to section twenty-four of chapter one hundred and fifty-nine, stating that a crossing of a railroad with a...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Type of power used to operate - Chapter 160, Section 153
  A railroad corporation may operate its railroad by electricity, or by such other power as may duly be approved by the department.
• Massachusetts General Laws - Brakes and brakemen - Chapter 160, Section 154
  Every railroad corporation shall cause a sufficient brake to be attached to every car used upon its railroad for the transportation of passengers, and to...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Control of brakes by engineer; inspection - Chapter 160, Section 155
  A railroad corporation, in moving traffic between points in the commonwealth, shall not use any locomotive not equipped with a power driving wheel brake and...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Safety couplers on freight cars - Chapter 160, Section 156
  A railroad corporation shall cause to be placed upon both ends of every freight car owned by it and which it may lawfully use such...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Use of car not equipped with automatic couplers - Chapter 160, Section 157
  A railroad corporation, in moving traffic between points in the commonwealth, shall not haul or use, or permit to be hauled or used, on its...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Grab irons - Chapter 160, Section 158
  A railroad corporation, in moving traffic between points in the commonwealth, until otherwise ordered by the department, shall not use any car, except flat cars...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Standard height of draw bars for freight cars - Chapter 160, Section 159
  The standard height of draw bars for freight cars, measured perpendicularly from the level of the top of the rails to the centres of the...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Violations; penalty - Chapter 160, Section 160
  A railroad corporation which violates any provision of sections one hundred and fifty-five, one hundred and fifty-seven, one hundred and fifty-eight and one hundred and...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Trains composed of four-wheel cars; application - Chapter 160, Section 161
  Sections one hundred and fifty-five and one hundred and fifty-seven to one hundred and sixty, inclusive, shall not apply to trains composed of four-wheel cars,...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Extension of time for equipment - Chapter 160, Section 162
  The department may from time to time, after hearing and for good cause, exempt, until a date fixed by it, any railroad corporation from the...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Tools and devices carried on trains - Chapter 160, Section 163
  Every railroad corporation shall equip each of the trains and cars owned or operated by it, for use in case of accident and for safety...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Track motor cars; windshield with cleaning device and canopy - Chapter 160, Section 163A
  Every railroad corporation shall equip each of the track motor cars operated by it with a windshield and a device for cleaning such windshield, which...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Passenger cars; safety windows and doors - Chapter 160, Section 163B
  No railroad corporation shall operate a passenger car manufactured after January first, nineteen hundred and seventy-nine, unless it is equipped with at least two windows...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Repealed, 1930, 211, Sec. 2 - Chapter 160, Section 164
  Repealed, 1930, 211, Sec.
• Massachusetts General Laws - Passenger, mail or baggage car; heating devices - Chapter 160, Section 165
  A passenger, mail or baggage car shall not be heated by a stove or furnace kept in the car or suspended therefrom unless it is...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Passenger cars; illuminating oil or fluid - Chapter 160, Section 166
  A passenger car on a railroad shall not be lighted by naphtha, nor by an illuminating oil or fluid made in part of naphtha or...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Platform gates - Chapter 160, Section 167
  Every passenger, baggage, mail and express car, equipped with platforms, and owned or regularly used on any railroad in the commonwealth shall be provided at...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Testing of locomotive boilers, rolling stock or other equipment - Chapter 160, Section 168
  The department shall make and revise regulations for testing boilers of locomotives, rolling stock or any other piece of railroad equipment designated by the department...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Vacuum brakes; mufflers - Chapter 160, Section 169
  A railroad corporation using any vacuum brake shall provide and use on every locomotive equipped therewith a muffler or other appliance, approved in writing by...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Safety valves; mufflers - Chapter 160, Section 170
  A railroad corporation using upon its locomotives a pop or other safety valve shall provide and use therewith a suitable and sufficient appliance for deadening...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Failure to equip with mufflers; penalty - Chapter 160, Section 171
  A corporation which violates any provision of the two preceding sections shall forfeit not less than one hundred nor more than three hundred dollars for...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Reasonable passenger accommodations - Chapter 160, Section 172
  Every railroad corporation shall furnish reasonable accommodations for the convenience and safety of passengers; and for every wilful neglect to provide the same shall forfeit...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Drinking water and sanitary toilet facilities on locomotives or cabooses - Chapter 160, Section 172A
  Every railroad corporation shall equip each locomotive used by railroad crewmen with pure refrigerated drinking water with individual, disposable cups; maintain toilet facilities on locomotives...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Women or children in smoking cars - Chapter 160, Section 173
  A railroad corporation shall not require women or children to ride in smoking cars. For a violation of this section the corporation, or any officer...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Drinking water in railroad cars - Chapter 160, Section 174
  Every railroad car, except private cars, sleeping cars, dining cars, parlor cars, and the smoking, buffet and observation cars used in connection with the same,...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Failure to provide drinking water; penalty - Chapter 160, Section 175
  Violations of the preceding section shall be punished by a fine of not less than twenty-five dollars for each trip made by a car used...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Other necessary appliances - Chapter 160, Section 176
  The department may require a railroad corporation to equip its cars with such other appliances as, in the judgment of the department, are necessary for...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Track motor cars; lights - Chapter 160, Section 176A
  Every railroad corporation shall equip each of its track motor cars operated between points in the commonwealth during the period from thirty minutes before sunset...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Caps and badges - Chapter 160, Section 177
  Every railroad corporation shall provide a uniform hat or cap and distinguishing badge, which shall be worn by all its employees whose duties relate immediately...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Eye examinations - Chapter 160, Section 178
  A railroad corporation shall not employ any person or keep him in its employ in a position requiring the employee to distinguish form or color...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Engineer; experience - Chapter 160, Section 179
  No person shall act as a locomotive engineer unless he has been employed two years as a locomotive fireman or as an engineer’s helper, or...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Conductor; experience - Chapter 160, Section 180
  No person shall act as a conductor on a railroad train unless he has been employed as a brakeman for two years, or was employed...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Violations of experience requirements for engineers and conductors - Chapter 160, Section 181
  No person shall knowingly engage, promote, require, persuade, prevail upon, or cause any person to act in violation of either of the two preceding sections.
• Massachusetts General Laws - Experience of engineer and conductor; exceptions - Chapter 160, Section 182
  The three preceding sections shall not apply to the operating of locomotive engines by engine hostlers in or around engine houses, or to any railroad...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Penalty for violation of experience requirements for engineers and conductors - Chapter 160, Section 183
  Any violation of any provision of the four preceding sections shall be punished by a fine of not more than five hundred dollars or imprisonment...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Rest days - Chapter 160, Section 184
  Every person employed as signalman, towerman, leverman, agent, train dispatcher, telegrapher or telephone operator in a railroad signal tower or railroad station, and every other...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Change in number of train crew; regulation by department - Chapter 160, Section 185
  Whenever the department is of opinion, after a hearing had upon its own motion or upon complaint, that the number of men forming a train...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Repealed, 1955, 669, Sec. 3 - Chapter 160, Section 185A
  Repealed, 1955, 669, Sec.
• Massachusetts General Laws - Determination by railroad; revision - Chapter 160, Section 186
  A railroad corporation may establish for its sole benefit fares, tolls and charges upon all passengers and property conveyed or transported on its railroad, at...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Reduction of rates - Chapter 160, Section 187
  A railroad corporation may make contracts for the conveyance of passengers upon designated trains for a specific distance at fixed times, at such reduced rates...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Extra charges for ticket purchased at place other than ticket office - Chapter 160, Section 188
  A railroad corporation shall not demand or receive for any single ticket bought or fare paid on a train or elsewhere than at its ticket...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Mileage tickets; detaching coupons - Chapter 160, Section 189
  Every railroad corporation issuing mileage tickets shall, upon presentation of such a ticket by a passenger, detach therefrom one coupon and no more for each...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Commutation tickets - Chapter 160, Section 190
  Every railroad corporation having a terminus in Boston, except the Boston, Revere Beach and Lynn Railroad Company, shall sell a commutation ticket good for not...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Season tickets; extension of term - Chapter 160, Section 191
  All railroads issuing season tickets between points within the commonwealth shall, at the request and on the presentation of a season ticket by the holder...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Season tickets; reimbursement for additional fares - Chapter 160, Section 192
  All railroads issuing season tickets between points within the commonwealth shall, at the request of a holder of a season ticket, reimburse said holder for...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Sale of season tickets to express messengers; release of liability for personal injury - Chapter 160, Section 193
  Every railroad corporation shall sell to an express messenger or to a person conducting a local express business, as provided in section two hundred and...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Baggage checks - Chapter 160, Section 194
  Every railroad corporation shall, upon request, give checks to passengers for their baggage when delivered for transportation, and shall re-deliver the baggage to the passengers...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Baggage stored over week end - Chapter 160, Section 195
  No charge shall be made by railroad corporations for the care or storage of baggage left at or arriving in railroad stations upon Friday, for...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Transportation of bicycles - Chapter 160, Section 196
  A railroad corporation which owns or operates a railroad of standard gauge shall check and transport between stations within the limits of the commonwealth, as...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Cheap morning and evening trains - Chapter 160, Section 197
  Every railroad corporation having a terminus in Boston shall, upon the application of two hundred or more persons therefor, furnish on each week day a...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Workingmen’s trains - Chapter 160, Section 198
  Every railroad corporation having a terminus in Boston shall furnish such number of workingmen’s trains, not less than two each way, as the department, upon...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Unauthorized sale at less than full fare - Chapter 160, Section 198A
  Whoever, except a person authorized so to do by the railroad corporation issuing the same, or a bona fide passenger in actual transit, sells or...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Unauthorized sale at other than scheduled rate - Chapter 160, Section 198B
  Whoever shall engage in the business of purchasing, selling or re-selling railroad tickets, railroad ticket coupons or other evidences of a right to ride on...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Free passes or reduced rates for public officials - Chapter 160, Section 199
  Any person who, being governor, lieutenant governor, member of the council, member or member-elect of the general court, justice of the supreme judicial court, justice...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Free passes to former employees injured in service of railroad - Chapter 160, Section 200
  Railroad corporations may issue passes for free transportation to former employees who have been injured in the service of the corporation issuing the pass. The...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Required upon request - Chapter 160, Section 201
  Every railroad corporation shall, upon request of the postmaster general or of an authorized agent of the post office department, carry the mails at such...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Determination of compensation - Chapter 160, Section 202
  A corporation which cannot agree with the postmaster general or other proper officer of the United States as to the compensation to be paid for...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Reopening of proceedings determining compensation - Chapter 160, Section 203
  Upon application to said court by either party to such proceedings at any time after the expiration of two years from the confirmation of such...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Receipts - Chapter 160, Section 204
  A railroad corporation shall, upon request, without additional charge, give a receipt describing articles, packages or commodities not extra hazardous delivered to it for transportation....
• Massachusetts General Laws - Equal facilities; passengers and property - Chapter 160, Section 205
  Every railroad corporation shall, subject to the provisions of section two hundred and eleven, give to all persons reasonable and equal terms, facilities and accommodations...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Application of Sec. 205 - Chapter 160, Section 206
  The preceding section shall apply to all persons engaged only in a local express business for the forwarding of express matter between points within the...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Prompt forwarding - Chapter 160, Section 207
  Every railroad corporation shall promptly forward merchandise consigned to or directed to be sent over another railroad connecting with its railroad, according to the directions...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Charges for transportation of freight - Chapter 160, Section 208
  A railroad corporation shall not charge or receive for the transportation of freight to any station on its railroad a greater amount than is at...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Violations; penalties - Chapter 160, Section 209
  A railroad corporation violating any provision of the four preceding sections, in addition to liability for all damages sustained by reason of such violation, shall...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Freight differential to port of Boston - Chapter 160, Section 210
  A railroad corporation shall not, at any time, charge, demand or receive a greater sum for transportation by it of freight from any point of...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Discrimination in rates - Chapter 160, Section 211
  A railroad corporation shall not in its charges for the transportation of freight or in the conduct of its freight business, make or give any...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Complete service; equal tariffs - Chapter 160, Section 212
  A railroad corporation shall not receive, forward or deliver milk in large quantities over any portion of its line, or permit others so to do,...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Tariff - Chapter 160, Section 213
  Upon the petition of one or more persons who desire to forward milk by the can over any railroad or any portion thereof, the department,...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Violations; penalty - Chapter 160, Section 214
  A railroad corporation which refuses or neglects to receive, forward or deliver milk by the can over its railroad or any portion thereof at the...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Approval of shareholders; authorization by department - Chapter 160, Section 215
  On application of any railroad corporation, authorized by a vote of two thirds of the shares present and voting at a meeting called therefor, the...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Certificate of authorization; filing; notice - Chapter 160, Section 216
  A certified copy of such authorization and a certificate of the vote of the corporation, signed and sworn to by the president, treasurer and a...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Rights and liabilities under new name - Chapter 160, Section 217
  A railroad corporation shall have the same rights, powers and privileges, and be subject to the same duties, obligations and liabilities, under its new name...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Standing, walking or riding vehicle on railroad property - Chapter 160, Section 218
  Whoever knowingly, without right is present, stands, walks, or rides a bicycle, snow vehicle, recreational or other vehicle on the right-of-way, bridge, or other property...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Loitering in station - Chapter 160, Section 219
  Whoever without right loiters or remains within a station house of a railroad corporation, or of the Boston Terminal Corporation, or upon the platform or...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Riding upon train other than as fare-paying passenger or employee - Chapter 160, Section 220
  Whoever, without right rides or attempts to ride upon a locomotive engine, tender, freight car, caboose, other conveyance or passenger train upon a railroad or...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Fees for enforcement of Sec. 220 - Chapter 160, Section 221
  Except in Suffolk county, the fees and expenses of officers in the apprehension, trial or commitment of a person arrested or tried for violation of...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Riding or driving animals on railroad - Chapter 160, Section 222
  Whoever, without the consent of a railroad corporation, or its agent, rides, drives, or leads a horse, or other beast, on the railroad opened for...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Liability for allowing animal on railroad - Chapter 160, Section 223
  The person through whose fault or negligence a horse or other beast goes at large within the limits of a railroad opened for use, shall...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Liability for allowing animal on railroad - Chapter 160, Section 224
  Whoever enters upon or crosses a railroad at a private way closed by gates or bars, and neglects to close them securely, shall forfeit not...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Malicious injury to railroad; treble damages - Chapter 160, Section 225
  Whoever maliciously injures a railroad, or anything pertaining thereto, or any materials or implements for the construction or use thereof, or aids or abets in...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Obstruction of passing of train - Chapter 160, Section 226
  Whoever wilfully obstructs, or aids or abets in obstructing, or wilfully does or causes to be done anything with the intent to obstruct, the passing...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Wilfully stopping train - Chapter 160, Section 227
  Whoever wilfully and maliciously stops a train on a railroad or causes it to be stopped for the purpose of entering, leaving or wantonly delaying...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Tampering with tools or appliances - Chapter 160, Section 228
  Whoever unlawfully uses, removes or tampers with any tools or appliances carried on the cars of a railroad corporation as required by section one hundred...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Defects in highway; liability of city or town; recovery from railroad - Chapter 160, Section 229
  If, upon the trial of an action against a city or town, the plaintiff recovers damages for an injury to his person or property caused...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Repealed, 1974, 252 - Chapter 160, Section 230
  Repealed, 1974,
• Massachusetts General Laws - Gross negligence of person in control of train; penalty - Chapter 160, Section 231
  Whoever, having the management or control of a railroad train while being used for the common carriage of persons, is guilty of gross negligence in...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Neglect of railroad to give signals at crossing; damages; contributory, gross or wilful negligence - Chapter 160, Section 232
  If a person is injured in his person or property by collision with the engines or cars or rail-borne motor cars of a railroad corporation...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Non-liability of railroad for acts of expressmen - Chapter 160, Section 233
  A railroad corporation shall not be liable to any person for personal injuries caused by the acts or omissions of any persons or companies doing...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Liability; insurance of railroad and owner - Chapter 160, Section 234
  Every railroad corporation shall be liable in damages to a person whose buildings or other property may be injured by fire communicated by its locomotive...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Spark arresters - Chapter 160, Section 235
  Every corporation operating a railroad shall install and maintain on locomotives in its service spark arresters or other suitable devices capable of preventing the discharge...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Clearing of inflammable material along right of way - Chapter 160, Section 235A
  Every railroad corporation shall, between April first and December first in each year, keep the full width of all its locations, to a point two...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Clearing of adjoining land; notice of intent to enter - Chapter 160, Section 236
  Any railroad corporation may, upon giving notice as herein provided, enter upon unimproved land adjoining any location or right of way upon which it operates...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Warning of fire given by train crew - Chapter 160, Section 237
  Any engineer, conductor or other employee on a train discovering a fire burning uncontrolled on lands adjacent to the tracks shall forthwith cause a fire...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Extinguishing fire - Chapter 160, Section 238
  Sectionmen or other employees of a railroad corporation receiving notice of the existence and location of a fire burning on land adjacent to the tracks...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Instruction of employees - Chapter 160, Section 239
  Railroad corporations shall inform their employees as to their duties under the four preceding sections and shall furnish them with the appropriate facilities for reporting...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Entry upon public park or reservation - Chapter 160, Section 240
  The five preceding sections shall not authorize any railroad corporation to enter upon, or to interfere in the management or care of, any public park...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Expense of extinguishing fire; liability of railroad - Chapter 160, Section 241
  Any railroad corporation which, by its servants or agents, negligently, or in violation of law, sets fire to grass lands or forest lands shall be...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Derailments; removal of wreckage and debris - Chapter 160, Section 241A
  Every railroad corporation shall within thirty days after a derailment on any right-of-way or location upon which it operates its railroad remove all wreckage and...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Content; inspection; violations - Chapter 160, Section 242
  A railroad corporation shall at all times submit its books to the inspection of any committee of the general court authorized to inspect them. The...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Quarterly statement - Chapter 160, Section 243
  Every railroad corporation shall, within fifty days after the expiration of each quarter of the year, transmit to the department a quarterly statement of its...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Lessee to make lessor’s returns - Chapter 160, Section 244
  Every railroad corporation shall, during the continuance of any lease which it has taken of the railroad of another corporation, make all the returns required...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Construction; limitations - Chapter 160, Section 245
  A person or corporation may construct a railroad for private use in the transportation of freight; but shall not take or use lands or other...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Supervisory powers of department - Chapter 160, Section 246
  If the consent of the department is required for the crossing of a way or traveled place by a railroad for private use, it may...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Formation; powers - Chapter 160, Section 247
  Fifteen or more persons, a majority of whom are inhabitants of this commonwealth, may associate themselves by a written agreement of association, with the intention...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Agreement of association - Chapter 160, Section 248
  The agreement of association shall state: (a) That the subscribers thereto associate themselves with the intention of forming a railroad corporation, or a railroad and...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Certificate of compliance - Chapter 160, Section 249
  When it is shown to the satisfaction of the department that the requirements of the two preceding sections have been complied with, the clerk of...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Change in amount of capital stock - Chapter 160, Section 250
  The corporation may from time to time, at a meeting of directors called therefor, reduce the amount of the capital stock, or increase it for...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Application - Chapter 160, Section 251
  Such corporation shall be subject to sections twenty-nine to forty, inclusive, and sixty-five, except as otherwise provided in the four preceding sections.
• Massachusetts General Laws - Enforcement - Chapter 160, Section 252
  The supreme judicial court shall have jurisdiction in equity on petition of the attorney general, of the railroad corporation, of any public body or of...

Last modified: September 11, 2015