Ind. Code ch. 8-4-7

Ind. Code ch. 8-4-7
in effect

Ind. Code § 8-4-7-1 Authority for formation

Sec. 1. Where two (2) or more railroad companies own or operate railroads extending into, through or near the same city or town, such companies, or any two (2) or more of them, may form a union railway corporation, according to this chapter. Formerly: Acts 1885, c.20, s.1. As amended by P.L.136-2018, SEC.88.

Ind. Code § 8-4-7-2 Capitalization; certificate of incorporation

Sec. 2. The railroad companies uniting in the formation of such corporation are designated as proprietary companies, and shall make a certificate of incorporation, in which they shall specify the name of the company to be incorporated under the certificate of incorporation, the amount of the capital stock of such company, the number and the par value of the shares into which it shall be divided, the aggregate amount of the par value of the shares of each proprietary company, the county or counties in which said union railway shall be situated, with the name of the town or city within or near which said union railway is to be constructed. Formerly: Acts 1885, c.20, s.2. As amended by P.L.136-2018, SEC.89.

Ind. Code § 8-4-7-3 Certificate of incorporation; powers and duties

Sec. 3. Such certificate of incorporation shall be signed by the president or vice president and attested by the secretary of each of said proprietary companies, and shall be sealed with its corporate seal, and shall be acknowledged by the respective companies by their said officers, before some person authorized to take and certify the acknowledgments of conveyances of real estate, and shall be filed and recorded in the recorder's office of the county or counties in which said union railway company may be situated; and upon the filing of such certificate as aforesaid, the union company so formed shall be a corporation of this state, with all the powers incident thereto, and such other powers as are conferred by this chapter. Formerly: Acts 1885, c.20, s.3. As amended by P.L.62-1984, SEC.49.

Ind. Code § 8-4-7-4 Directors; numbers; acquisition of property

Sec. 4. The board of directors of any such union company shall consist of not less than one (1) representative for each of the proprietary companies to be selected by the respective companies which they are to represent: Provided, That the board may increase the number of directors by fixing the additional equal number of representatives to be selected for each proprietary company, and any successor in interest to one or more original proprietary companies shall be entitled to select the number of representatives so provided for each such company. And such board of directors shall have power to construct, maintain and operate such union railroad, to regulate the use of its depots, stations, structures, appliances and facilities, and to regulate the time and manner in which engines, cars and other rolling stock shall pass or be hauled over its tracks, and the tolls, charges or compensation to be paid therefor. Formerly: Acts 1885, c.20, s.4; Acts 1959, c.28, s.1.

Ind. Code § 8-4-7-5 Stock certificates; proprietary companies

Sec. 5. The interest of each proprietary company in the union company in its capital stock and in its property and effects of every kind shall be deemed an appurtenance to the railroad of such proprietary company, and shall not be transferable or alienable otherwise than with and as a part of the railroad of such proprietary company. The union company shall issue to each proprietary company a certificate or certificates setting forth the interest or stock of such proprietary company in such union company, but such certificate shall express upon its face that it is not transferable, except as appurtenant to the railroad of such proprietary company. Formerly: Acts 1885, c.20, s.5.

Ind. Code § 8-4-7-6 Belt railroad; operation

Sec. 6. Any such union railway company may, as owner or lessee thereof, operate any belt railroad extending around, or partly around, the town or city in or near which such union railway may be situated, the track of which belt road connects with the track of said union railway company, or with the track of any of its proprietary companies, to the end that such town or city may be relieved, as far as practicable, of the passage through it of through freight cars and through freight trains. Formerly: Acts 1885, c.20, s.6.

Ind. Code § 8-4-7-7 Acquisition of property; eminent domain

Sec. 7. Any such union railway company may erect, construct, rebuild and replace, in connection with its tracks, union depots, car sheds and such other structures and appliances as the company may deem necessary to facilitate the transaction of its business, and the business of its proprietary companies and of other railroad companies whose tracks may connect therewith, and which may acquire from such union railway company the right to use said union tracks and their appliances. And such union company shall also have power to locate, construct, rebuild, keep up, change and repair such union railroad and its tracks, side-tracks, switches, depots, sheds and other structures and appliances, and to take conveyances and releases in fee simple or otherwise of rights of way and of such real estate as it may deem necessary for the purposes aforesaid, and may condemn, in fee simple or otherwise, so much real estate and such rights of way as it may deem necessary for the purposes aforesaid, or any of them; also, to construct, own, maintain and operate union passenger stations, local freight stations, transfer and connecting tracks, between the property of such union company and property and tracks of other railroad companies. Formerly: Acts 1885, c.20, s.7.

Ind. Code § 8-4-7-8 Eminent domain; application of law

Sec. 8. The condemnations authorized in section 7 of this chapter may be made according to: (1) the provisions of the charter of any or either of the proprietary companies; (2) the general railroad law of Indiana in effect at the time that provides for the condemnation of real estate for railroad purposes; or (3) IC 32-24-1. Formerly: Acts 1885, c.20, s.8. As amended by P.L.62-1984, SEC.50; P.L.2-2002, SEC.41.

Ind. Code § 8-4-7-9 Financing of operation; loans and bond issues

Sec. 9. Any such union railway company shall have power to borrow money for the purpose of raising means to carry out the powers conferred by this chapter, and may issue coupon or other bonds payable to bearer, bearing interest not exceeding the highest contract rate of interest which may be allowable in this state at the time, such interest to be payable semiannually, and such company may also mortgage its franchises, property, and revenues of every kind then owned or subsequently to be acquired to secure the payment of such loan and interest or of such bonds and interest. Formerly: Acts 1885, c.20, s.9. As amended by P.L.62-1984, SEC.51.

Ind. Code § 8-4-7-10 Vacation of street or alley

Sec. 10. (a) If any union railway company in carrying out the powers granted by this chapter considers it necessary that any part of a street, avenue, or alley in a town or city in which the union railway is situated should be vacated, it is lawful for the executive and legislative body of the town, or the legislative body of the city, as the case may be, to vacate any part of any street, avenue, or alley of the town or city for the purposes of this chapter. (b) As a basis of the vacation, the union railway company shall present to and file with the proper municipal body or bodies of the town or city its petition, setting forth a description of the part of the street, avenue, or alley proposed to be vacated, and the purpose for which the ground is proposed to be used. There must be appended to the petition, as a part of the basis of the vacation, the written consent to the granting of the prayer of such petition of the owners in fee simple of more than one-half (1/2) of the real estate fronting on both sides of the street or alley, which, or part of which, is proposed to be vacated, estimated by the frontage in feet upon the street or alley, commencing at a line drawn across the street or alley equidistant from the termini of that portion of the street or alley proposed to be vacated, and extending along the street or alley from the line one thousand five hundred (1,500) feet in each direction, unless the street, avenue, or alley is not continuous in either direction from the line one thousand five hundred (1,500) feet, in which case, the consent of owners shall only be required for the distance that it is continuous. (c) Before granting the prayer of the petition, the municipal body or bodies shall ascertain and determine that the consent of the owners of the requisite number of front feet has been obtained and the finding shall be made a matter of record, and is conclusive of the facts so found in all collateral proceedings. (d) Before the petition is presented, twenty (20) days notice shall be given by the union railway company, by publication, by three (3) insertions in two (2) newspapers of general circulation printed and published in the town or city in which the union railway may be situated, setting forth that on a day, to be named in the notice, or at the next meeting thereafter of the municipal body or bodies, a petition for the vacation of the portion of the street or alley in question, describing it, will be presented to the municipal body or bodies for action. Formerly: Acts 1885, c.20, s.10. As amended by P.L.62-1984, SEC.52; P.L.8-1989, SEC.50; P.L.136-2018, SEC.90.

Ind. Code § 8-4-7-11 Joint use of facilities and equipment

Sec. 11. Any such union railway company may, by agreement in writing with any railroad company not being one of said proprietary companies, and owning or operating a railroad which extends to, into, through or near the town or city in or near which such union railroad is or may be situated, admit said last-mentioned railroad company to such use of the tracks, side-tracks, switches, depots, depot grounds, yards, sheds and other structures or railroad facilities and appliances (including the use of its belt railroad and belt railroad facilities, if any) during such time, on such terms and conditions, and for such compensation or rent as may be agreed upon. The right of any associate company to continue in the use and enjoyment of the property and facilities of the union company may be made to depend upon the faithful performance of such terms and conditions by such associate company as may be inserted in said agreement. The companies which may be so admitted are herein designated as associate companies: Provided, That no such associate company shall be admitted to the use of the property and facilities of such union railway company except upon the unanimous vote of the directors of such union company. Formerly: Acts 1885, c.20, s.11.

Ind. Code § 8-4-7-12 Directors, officers, and employees

Sec. 12. The board of directors of any such union railway company shall annually elect a president, a vice-president, a secretary and a treasurer, who shall serve for one (1) year, and until their successors are elected. Any general officer of either of the proprietary companies shall be eligible as president. The vice-president, secretary and treasurer need not necessarily be an officer of one of said proprietary companies. Formerly: Acts 1885, c.20, s.12.

Ind. Code § 8-4-7-13 Board of managers; associate companies

Sec. 13. It shall be competent for the board of directors of such union railway company to organize a board of managers, to consist of a representative from each proprietary company, as well as a representative from each associate company previously admitted, such representatives to be selected by the respective companies which they are to represent, and the president of the union railway company shall be ex officio president of such board. As associate companies are from time to time admitted to the use of the union railway property and facilities, as aforesaid, they shall each become entitled to have a representative on said board of managers; but after such board of managers shall have been organized, other associate companies shall only be admitted as aforesaid with the unanimous consent of all the members of such board of managers. Formerly: Acts 1885, c.20, s.13.

Ind. Code § 8-4-7-14 Associate companies; board of managers; delegation of powers and duties

Sec. 14. It shall be competent for the board of directors of such union railway company, in the agreement by which any associate company or companies may be admitted as aforesaid, to delegate to such board of managers such and so much of the authority, power and jurisdiction of such board of directors as may be agreed upon, subject, however, to the rights of the proprietary companies and of the union railway company as defined in the agreements under which associate companies may have been or may be admitted; subject to these rights, the powers so delegated to said board of managers shall be exercised by said board of managers, and shall continue so long as the said associate companies, or any or either of them, shall continue to be entitled to use the property and facilities of such union railway company. Formerly: Acts 1885, c.20, s.14.

Ind. Code § 8-4-7-15 Contracts; tort liability

Sec. 15. Every such union railway company shall be primarily liable to the public and to third persons on its contracts and for its torts, but it shall be competent, as between themselves, for such proprietary companies, such associate companies, and said union railway company, to agree among themselves that the ultimate liability for damages for any class of injuries to persons or property shall fall upon one (1) or more of said companies, and such agreement as to such ultimate liability may be enforced as between the companies parties to such agreement: Provided, however, That nothing herein contained shall prevent any person suing for an injury to persons or property from joining as defendants any or all of said companies if the facts would have justified such joinder if this section had never been passed. Formerly: Acts 1885, c.20, s.15.

Ind. Code § 8-4-7-16 Acceptance of provisions of chapter; certificate; filing

Sec. 16. Any union railway company organized prior to March 2, 1885, under the provisions of Acts 1852, 1RS, c.84 may adopt the provisions of this chapter by filing a written statement setting forth its acceptance of the provisions of this chapter, which written statement shall be signed by the president and attested by the secretary of each proprietary company, under its corporate seal, and shall be acknowledged by the parties thereto before some officer authorized to take acknowledgments of conveyances of real estate, which writing shall be filed and recorded in the office of the recorder of the county or counties in which such union railway may be situated, and, from time of such filing, such union railway company shall be deemed a corporation of the state of Indiana, and shall have all the powers and be subject to all the provisions of this chapter. Formerly: Acts 1885, c.20, s.16. As amended by P.L.62-1984, SEC.53.

Ind. Code § 8-4-7-17 Filing of certificate of acceptance of provisions of chapter; conclusiveness upon associate companies

Sec. 17. Whenever, prior to March 2, 1885, any union railway company shall have been incorporated, and the proprietary companies of such union railway company shall have, by agreement in writing with any other railroad company, such as is designated in this chapter as an associate company, admitted such associate company to the use of the property and facilities of such union company, then, upon the filing of the certificate of acceptance contemplated by section 16 of this chapter, such agreement between such proprietary companies and such associate company shall have the same force and effect and be as valid and binding as if the same had been made after March 2, 1885, and the terms of such agreement, including the provision for such a board of managers as is contemplated by this chapter, the delegation of powers to such board, and the right of such associate company to representation on such board, shall be observed and enforced as may have been provided for in said agreement. Formerly: Acts 1885, c.20, s.17. As amended by P.L.62-1984, SEC.54.

Ind. Code § 8-4-7-18 Mechanic's liens; joint liability of proprietary companies

Sec. 18. The proprietary companies shall be jointly liable for all debts due for labor done for such union railway company on its tracks, depots and other property that shall not be paid by such union railway company, but such liability shall not be enforceable against the said proprietary companies until the remedy against such union company shall have been exhausted, unless it is shown that said union company is insolvent. Formerly: Acts 1885, c.20, s.18.

Ind. Code § 8-4-7-19 Facilities and connections; joint use by proprietary companies

Sec. 19. Any such union railway company may make running arrangements with any of its proprietary companies, or with any of its associate companies, whereby such union railway company shall acquire the right to use the roads and tracks of such proprietary companies, or of said associate companies, so as to afford connecting facilities between the tracks of such union company and any belt railroad contemplated by this chapter. Formerly: Acts 1885, c.20, s.19. As amended by P.L.62-1984, SEC.55.
Source: Open US Law by Vaquill AI (CC BY 4.0)URL: https://iga.in.gov/laws/2026/ic/titles/8Fetched: 10/17/2026