Any railroad corporation may purchase or take and hold, as for public uses, additional land or rights in land, at any time required for improving the alignment or grades of its road, for double tracking its road, for protecting the tracks against erosion of adjoining or adjacent land or against the action of the elements, or reasonably necessary in the enhancement of public safety at dangerous curves or crossings; and land or rights therein, for borrow, ballast and gravel pits, necessary tracks, side-tracks, spur tracks, freight or passenger yards, stations, station grounds, approaches to stations and station grounds and to other facilities furnished by the railroad for public use, coal sheds, woodsheds, water tanks, repair shops, car, engine, freight and section houses, section dwelling houses and storage warehouses, or other structures, which the Department of Transportation, after hearing, finds to be reasonably required in the safe, economical and efficient operation of the railroad and in rendering of adequate service to the public. If the owner or owners of that land do not consent, if the parties do not agree as to the necessity for the taking or as to the area to be taken or if the parties are unable to agree as to the fair value of the land, the corporation may make written application to the Department of Transportation requesting its approval of the taking by the railroad corporation for any such public uses, describing the land and appurtenances and naming the persons interested. The department shall then appoint a time for a hearing near the premises and require notice to be given to the persons interested, as they may direct, at least 14 days before that time. The department shall then view the premises; hear the parties; determine how much, if any, of the real estate should be taken for the reasonable accommodation of the traffic, the safe operation of the railroad and the appropriate business of the corporation; and enter an order containing a definite description of the real estate and furnish the corporation with a true copy of the order. When a certified copy of the order is filed with the registry of deeds in the county where the land lies, the land shall be deemed and treated as taken. When land is held by a tenant for life and the reversion is contingent as to the persons in whom it may vest on the termination of the life estate, that fact shall be stated in the application and the department shall, in addition to the notice to the tenant for life, give notice by publication to all others interested, in such manner as it deems proper. [PL 1987, c. 141, Pt. A, §4 (NEW).]