1. In order to facilitate the public convenience and safety in the transmission of goods and passengers in, and in the neighborhood of, large cities, from one railroad to another, and to prevent the unnecessary expense, inconvenience and loss attending the accumulation of a number of stations, any number of persons not less than five, or any such number of persons, not less than five, and any railroad company or companies are hereby authorized to form themselves into a corporation under the general laws of this state, relating to private corporations for the purpose of constructing, establishing and maintaining a union station for passengers or freight depots, or for both, in or in the neighborhood of any city of this state, with the necessary offices and rooms convenient therefor, and the appurtenances thereto, and, for that purpose, may make and sign articles in which shall be stated the number of years the same is to continue, the city in which the same is to be located, the amount of the capital stock of said company, which shall not exceed ten millions of dollars, the amount of each share of stock, the names and places of residence of its directors who shall manage its affairs for the first year and until others are chosen in their place, the number of its directors, which shall not be less than five nor more than twenty, and shall also state the amount of stock taken by each subscriber.

2. And any railroad company may construct, build, operate and maintain a union station in, or in the neighborhood of any city of this state, for passengers or freight depots, or for both, with the necessary offices and rooms convenient therefor and the appurtenances thereto, and shall have like powers in connection with any such union station or depots, or both, as are possessed by union depot companies formed under this section.