Change of general direction and route of railroad

(a) Any railroad company incorporated under this chapter shall have the power to change the general direction and route of its railroad from that stated in the original petition by a two-thirds’ vote of the capital stock of the corporation represented in person or by written proxy at any annual or special meeting of the stockholders of the corporation. When the direction and route are so changed, the railroad company shall have the right and power to enter upon, condemn for rights of way, and construct said road on the land along the new or changed line, as it had on the original line. (b) After the road has been constructed, no change in the direction and route of a railroad shall be made in any city without the consent of such city expressed through its proper authorities. 683 Page: 684 Job Path: @mfgmic/west/stcodes/ga/repl/qj04040.63 Date: 06/30/04 Time: 20:59:43 0000 42051-21 (QS) GA 04 RV34 -- 3rd RUN 46-8-125 PUBLIC UTILITIES, ETC. 46-8-125 (c) In case the route is changed after grading is commenced, compensation shall be made to all persons owning lands on the original route which have been damaged by such grading or other work on such original route. If no agreement as to the amount of compensation is made, such amount shall be assessed as provided in Title 22. (Ga. L. 1892, p. 37, § 12; Civil Code 1895, § 2171; Ga. L. 1903, p. 36, § 1; Civil Code 1910, § 2589; Code 1933, § 94-309; Ga. L. 2004, p. 631, § 46.) The 2004 amendment, effective May 13, 2004, part of an Act to revise, modernize, and correct the Code, revised punctuation in subsection (a).