Title 43Public LandsRelease 119-73

§935 Several roads through canyons

Title 43 › Chapter CHAPTER 22— - RIGHTS-OF-WAY AND OTHER EASEMENTS IN PUBLIC LANDS › § 935

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

If a railroad’s right of way, track, or roadbed goes through a canyon, pass, or defile, that railroad must let other railroads use and occupy the same passage for their lines and cross at the same level, sharing the route with the first railroad there. Building a railroad through such a place must not force a wagon or other public road that existed there on March 3, 1875, out of use, nor stop the creation of a necessary public wagon road. If a wagon road must be moved to allow the railroad, the railroad company must rebuild it before entering the land, pay for the work, place it in the best available spot, and make it at least as good as the original. If several railroads use the same canyon, those rebuilding costs must be shared fairly among them.

Full Legal Text

Title 43, §935

Public Lands — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

Any railroad company whose right of way, or whose track or roadbed upon such right of way, passes through any canyon, pass, or defile, shall not prevent any other railroad company from the use and occupancy of the said canyon, pass, or defile, for the purposes of its road, in common with the road first located, on the crossing of other railroads at grade. And the location of such right of way through any canyon, pass, or defile shall not cause the disuse of any wagon or other public highway located therein on March 3, 1875, nor prevent the location through the same of any such wagon road or highway where such road or highway may be necessary for the public accommodation; and where any change in the location of such wagon road is necessary to permit the passage of such railroad through any canyon, pass, or defile, said railroad company shall before entering upon the ground occupied by such wagon road, cause the same to be reconstructed at its own expense in the most favorable location, and in as perfect a manner as the original road: Provided, That such expenses shall be equitably divided between any number of railroad companies occupying and using the same canyon, pass, or defile.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Repeal;

Savings Provision

Section repealed by Pub. L. 94–579, title VII, § 706(a), Oct. 21, 1976, 90 Stat. 2793, effective on and after Oct. 21, 1976, insofar as applicable to the issuance of rights-of-way over, upon, under, and through the public lands and lands in the National Forest System. Such repeal not to be construed as terminating any valid lease, permit, patent, etc., existing on Oct. 21, 1976, see section 701 of Pub. L. 94–579, set out as a note under section 1701 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

43 U.S.C. § 935

Title 43Public Lands

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73