Title 13b — Title 13b: Transportation

Sec. 13b-244. (Formerly Sec. 16-76). Powers. Each railroad company may hold such real estate as may be convenient for accomplishing the objects of its organization; may by its agents enter such places as may be designated by its directors for the purpose of making surveys and det…

Sec. 13b-245. (Formerly Sec. 16-77). Right to take land limited; land of infants and others. No land shall be taken without the consent of its owner, except within two years after the approval of the location of the route by the Commissioner of Transportation. When the land of an…

Sec. 13b-246. (Formerly Sec. 16-78). Notice concerning layout and real estate. Before the Commissioner of Transportation approves the layout of any railroad or the taking of any real estate for the purposes of such road or any change or alteration of the same, he shall give reaso…

Sec. 13b-247. (Formerly Sec. 16-79). Approval for taking of land. Section 13b-247 is repealed, effective October 1, 2000. (1949 Rev., S. 5468; P.A. 75-486, S. 1, 69; P.A. 77-614, S. 571, 610; P.A. 00-148, S. 39.)

Sec. 13b-248. (Formerly Sec. 16-80). Alteration of location. Each company, after its line of road has been located, approved and established, may so far alter such location as to change the radius of its curves, the width of its layout, the extent of depot grounds or its slopes a…

Sec. 13b-249. (Formerly Sec. 16-81). Alteration of grades. Each company, after its line of road has been located, approved and established, may alter its grades and raise any highway bridges that pass over its tracks to such height as may be approved by the Commissioner of Transp…

Sec. 13b-250. (Formerly Sec. 16-82). Land for additional tracks. Any company may so alter the location of its road as to add to the number of its main tracks and, for that purpose, with the approval of the Commissioner of Transportation, may take additional land; but, when an add…

Sec. 13b-251. (Formerly Sec. 16-82a). Overhead clearances for railroad tracks. Approval by legislature. (a) The minimum overhead clearance for any structure crossing over railroad tracks for which construction is begun on or after October 1, 1986, shall be twenty feet, six inches…

Sec. 13b-252. (Formerly Sec. 16-82b). Structures exempted from overhead clearance requirement. The provisions of section 13b-251 shall not apply to any structure for which construction is authorized by or begun pursuant to any special act. (P.A. 78-28, S. 2; P.A. 03-115, S. 70.) …

Sec. 13b-253. (Formerly Sec. 16-83). Land cut off from access to highway. When any company takes land for railroad purposes and the effect of such taking is to cut off other land from practical access to the highway, such company may, with the approval of the Commissioner of Tran…

Sec. 13b-254. (Formerly Sec. 16-84). Layout through cemetery. No company shall lay out or locate its road, or any part thereof, through any cemetery or any approach in common use from the highway thereto, and within one-quarter of a mile thereof, unless the Commissioner of Transp…

Secs. 13b-255 to 13b-259. (Formerly Secs. 16-85 to 16-89). Land for electrification of railroad. Procedure for appraisal of land taken. Land in highway or private way. Abandonment of road; damages. Owner may require description of land. Sections 13b-255 to 13b-259, inclusive, are…

Sec. 13b-260. (Formerly Sec. 16-90). Plan of road to be deposited with town clerk. Within ninety days after the railroad of any company has been laid out in any town and approved by the Commissioner of Transportation, such company shall deposit with the town clerk a correct plan,…

Sec. 13b-261. (Formerly Sec. 16-91). Statement of location filed with secretary. Each company shall, within six months after the final location of its road, file with the Secretary of the State a statement of such location, defining the courses and distances. (1949 Rev., S. 5480.…

Sec. 13b-262. (Formerly Sec. 16-92). Security from contractors for labor; liability of company. Each company, in making contracts for the building of its road, shall require sufficient security from the contractors for the payment for all labor thereafter to be performed in const…

Sec. 13b-263. (Formerly Sec. 16-93). Crossing of one railroad by another. Any company may, in the construction of its railroad, cross the railroad of any other company or connect with the same. If it cannot agree with such other company as to such crossing or connection, the Comm…

Sec. 13b-264. (Formerly Sec. 16-94). Branch lines. Any company may build branches from its main line or from any of its leased lines, provided the construction of such branches is found by the Commissioner of Transportation, upon application, after such reasonable public notice a…

Sec. 13b-265. (Formerly Sec. 16-95). Crossing highway or watercourse. When it is necessary for the construction of a railroad to intersect or cross any watercourse not navigable or any public highway, the company may construct such railroad across or upon the same if the Commissi…

Sec. 13b-266. (Formerly Sec. 16-96). Land for change of highway. Section 13b-266 is repealed, effective October 1, 2000. (1949 Rev., S. 5485; P.A. 75-486, S. 1, 69; P.A. 77-614, S. 571, 610; P.A. 00-148, S. 39.)

Sec. 13b-267. (Formerly Sec. 16-97). Construction over highway at grade restricted. Each company which locates and constructs a railroad across any highway shall construct it so as to cross over or under the same and may, under the direction of the Commissioner of Transportation,…

Sec. 13b-268. (Formerly Sec. 16-98). Construction of new highway across railroad. Construction of railroad crossing at grade. (a) When a new highway is constructed across a railroad, such highway shall pass over or under the railroad as the Commissioner of Transportation directs.…

Sec. 13b-269. (Formerly Sec. 16-99). Bridge over railroad. When a highway is laid out or ordered to be laid out across a railroad and the Commissioner of Transportation directs such highway to be carried over the railroad, he shall determine the length, width and material of the …

Sec. 13b-270. (Formerly Sec. 16-100). Removal of grade crossings. The selectmen of any town, the mayor and common council of any city or the warden and burgesses of any borough, within which a highway crosses or is crossed by a railroad, or the directors of any railroad company w…

Sec. 13b-271. (Formerly Sec. 16-100a). Temporary grade crossings. The Commissioner of Transportation, on the application in writing of the selectmen of any town, the mayor and common council of any city or the warden and burgesses of any borough or on the commissioner's own motio…

Sec. 13b-272. (Formerly Sec. 16-100b). Relocation of grade crossing. Notwithstanding any other provision of the general statutes, the Commissioner of Transportation, on the application in writing of the selectmen of any town, the mayor and common council of any city or the warden…

Sec. 13b-273. (Formerly Sec. 16-101). Elimination of grade crossings by removing railroad. Any railroad company may bring its petition in writing to the Commissioner of Transportation, alleging that public safety requires the elimination of the crossing of its railroad at grade b…

Sec. 13b-274. (Formerly Sec. 16-102). Commissioner of Transportation may order removal of crossings. Land to be taken limited. The Commissioner of Transportation may, in the absence of any application therefor, when in the commissioner's opinion public safety requires an alterati…

Sec. 13b-275. (Formerly Sec. 16-103). Petition for elimination of dangerous condition at crossings. Hearing. Any public service company or companies whose tracks cross over, under or upon a state highway or any other main highway leading from one town to another, the municipality…

Sec. 13b-276. (Formerly Sec. 16-104). Elimination of dangerous condition. The Commissioner of Transportation, if he finds that a dangerous condition exists at such crossing, except a dangerous condition arising out of improper or inadequate maintenance, shall issue such order to …

Sec. 13b-277. (Formerly Sec. 16-105). Appeal. Any public service company or municipality may appeal from any order of the Commissioner of Transportation issued under the provisions of sections 13b-275 and 13b-276 as provided in section 4-183. (1949 Rev., S. 2253; 1969, P.A. 768, …

Sec. 13b-278. (Formerly Sec. 16-106). Not to affect other provisions concerning removal of grade crossings. The provisions of sections 13b-275, 13b-276 and 13b-277 shall not be construed to affect the provisions of any other statute concerning the removal of grade crossings. (194…

Sec. 13b-279. (Formerly Sec. 16-107). Highway crossed by more than one railroad. When the Commissioner of Transportation, upon an application brought under the provisions of section 13b-270, finds that any highway crosses or is crossed by the tracks of more than one railroad, and…

Sec. 13b-280. (Formerly Sec. 16-108). Assessment of damages. If the party by whom such changes in the highway are to be made cannot agree with the owner of land or other property to be taken or removed under such decision of the Commissioner of Transportation, the damages shall b…

Sec. 13b-281. (Formerly Sec. 16-109). Obstruction of view adjoining grade crossing. If the view of that portion of the tracks of any railroad, crossing a highway at grade, which adjoins such crossing, is obstructed by trees, shrubbery or embankments of earth, the Commissioner of …

Sec. 13b-282. (Formerly Sec. 16-110). Change in location of highways crossed by a railroad. When any highway passes over or under a railroad, if the convenience and necessity of the public require a change in such highway, the town, city or borough in which such highway is locate…

Sec. 13b-283. (Formerly Sec. 16-111). Repair of structures over or under railroad tracks. Apportionment of costs of repair or replacement. Elimination of highway-railroad grade crossings. Acquisition of land or rights to land. Order to utility re facilities. Agreement for mainten…

Sec. 13b-284. (Formerly Sec. 16-112). Reimbursement of towns and cities. The amount assessed by any order of the Commissioner of Transportation, or the Superior Court upon appeal therefrom, against any town or city in this state, for the removal of a grade crossing in a highway w…

Sec. 13b-285. (Formerly Sec. 16-113). Change of highway near railroad; petitions by municipality. When a railroad has been laid out, located or constructed so near a highway as, in the opinion of the selectmen of any town, the mayor of any city or the warden of any borough within…

Sec. 13b-286. (Formerly Sec. 16-114). Change of highway; petition by railroad. Section 13b-286 is repealed, effective October 1, 2002. (1949 Rev., S. 5499; P.A. 75-486, S. 1, 69; P.A. 77-614, S. 571, 587, 610; P.A. 78-303, S. 85, 136; P.A. 02-89, S. 90.)

Sec. 13b-287. (Formerly Sec. 16-115). Land may be taken for changed location of highway. Whenever the Commissioner of Transportation orders a change in the location of a highway under the provisions of section 13b-285 and the parties ordered by the commissioner to do the work can…

Sec. 13b-288. (Formerly Sec. 16-116). Statutes made part of charters. The provisions of sections 13b-248, 13b-249, 13b-250, 13b-253, 13b-263, 13b-265, 13b-285 and 13b-289 shall be deemed a part of the charter of every company authorized to construct, own or operate any railroad w…

Sec. 13b-289. (Formerly Sec. 16-117). Easements and private crossings may be condemned. The owner of any private crossing at grade of the tracks of a railroad company, or of any right, title, interest, easement or privilege in land used by a company for railroad purposes, or any …

Sec. 13b-290. (Formerly Sec. 16-118). Highway crossing discontinued. When the use of a highway crossing over a railroad has been abandoned for fifteen years, such crossing shall be deemed discontinued. (1949 Rev., S. 5503.) History: In 1981 Sec. 16-118 transferred to Sec. 13b-290…

Sec. 13b-291. (Formerly Sec. 16-119). Private crossing to be restored. When a private crossing has been removed by a railroad company without the consent of the owner or owners, the company from whose tracks such crossing has been removed shall restore the same in good order upon…

Sec. 13b-292. (Formerly Sec. 16-119a). Private crossings; protection requirements. (a) For the purposes of this section, “private crossing” means any private way, private drive or any facility other than a public highway for the use of pedestrians, motor vehicles or other types o…

Sec. 13b-292a. Private rail crossing providing highway access to single-family dwellings. Owner responsibilities. Notwithstanding any provision of the general statutes or any decision of a prior administrative proceeding, any private at-grade rail crossing that has provided highw…

Sec. 13b-293. (Formerly Sec. 16-120). Maintenance of changed highway. When the Commissioner of Transportation, in accepting the layout of any railroad company, has in such acceptance provided that portions of such railroad shall not be constructed until certain highways have been…

Sec. 13b-294. (Formerly Sec. 16-121). Guards for rails at crossings. When any railroad is crossed by a highway at the same level, the company operating such railroad shall, at its own expense, so guard its rails by plank or otherwise as to secure a safe and easy passage across it…

Sec. 13b-295. (Formerly Sec. 16-122). Overhead bridge guards. Penalty. Each railroad company shall, if required by the Commissioner of Transportation, erect and thereafter maintain suitable bridge guards at each bridge over its railroad when the overhead structure is less than ei…

Sec. 13b-296. (Formerly Sec. 16-123). Guard rails on bridges. Penalty. When the Commissioner of Transportation deems it necessary for the safety of persons traveling upon any railroad in this state that guard rails or any other appliances to secure safety should be placed upon an…