Sec. 1. Any railroad or other company organized under the laws of this state, or of this state and any other state or states, and owning or operating, or authorized by its charter to construct or acquire, a railroad, bridge or tunnel, either wholly within or partly within and partly without this state, may consolidate its capital stock, franchises and property with the capital stock, franchises and property of any other railroad, tunnel or bridge company or companies organized under the laws of this state, or of this state and any other state or states, or of any other state or states, or may merge or be merged into any such other company, whenever the two (2) or more railroads of the companies so to be consolidated or merged, their tunnels, bridges or branches or any part thereof, or the lines or routes of their roads if not constructed, shall or may connect either directly or over the intervening line or lines of any one (1) or more railroad companies, and any such consolidated or surviving company may thereafter construct or finish the construction of such line of railroad if not previously constructed, and may operate the same, subject to all the provisions of law applicable to such railroad company.

Formerly: Acts 1937, c.59, s.1; Acts 1955, c.342, s.1.