The several parties to any such agreement of consolidation or merger shall, from the time of the recording thereof in the office of the Secretary of State, be taken to be one railroad company by the name adopted in case of a consolidation or by the name of the acquiring company in case of a merger, possessing within this State all the rights and franchises and subject to all the restrictions, disabilities and duties of the companies of this State, or owning or operating any railroad in this State, so consolidated or merged and in case of a consolidation, if any of the constituent companies so consolidated was a corporation of this State, the new company formed by such consolidation shall be a corporation of this State or of this State and some other State or States.

All the rights, privileges and franchises of each of the companies parties to any such agreement of consolidation or merger and all rights-of-way, real estate and personal property, and all debts, stock subscriptions and other things in action of the companies consolidated or merged shall be taken to be transferred to the new or acquiring company without further act or deed and to be vested in the new or acquiring company as effectually as they were in the former companies.

The new or acquiring company may take land by purchase or condemnation in the same manner and to the same extent as companies organized under the laws of this State.

All rights of creditors and all liens upon property shall be preserved unimpaired and all debts, liabilities and duties of any of the former companies shall thenceforth attach to the new or acquiring company and be enforced against it to the same extent as if incurred by it.

Amended by L.1948, c. 317, p. 1268, s. 6; L.1962, c. 198, s. 144.