reglab/housing_qa huggingface dataset:
MA Gen L ch 160 § 117 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XXII - Corporations|Chapter 160 - Railroads|Section 117 - Order for Switch Connection by Department

Section 117. If any railroad corporation fails to install or operate any such switch connection with a lateral line of railroad or any such side track and switch connection as aforesaid, after written application therefor has been made to it, any person interested may present the facts to the department by written petition, and the department shall investigate the matters stated in such petition, and give such hearing thereon as it may deem necessary or proper. If the department deems it safe and practicable to have a connection, substantially as prayed for, established or maintained, and that the business to be done thereon justifies the construction and maintenance thereof, it shall make an order directing the construction and establishment thereof, specifying the reasonable compensation to be paid for the construction, establishment and maintenance thereof, and may in like manner upon the application of the railroad corporation order the discontinuance of such switch connection.
MA Gen L ch 160 § 118 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XXII - Corporations|Chapter 160 - Railroads|Section 118 - Certification by Department

Section 118. A railroad or branch or extension thereof shall not be opened for public use until the department, after an examination, certifies that all laws relative to its construction have been complied with, and that it appears to be in a safe condition for operation.
MA Gen L ch 160 § 119 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XXII - Corporations|Chapter 160 - Railroads|Section 119 - Filing of Map and Profile, Tables of Grade and Curvature and Statement of Characteristics

Section 119. When a railroad or a branch or extension thereof is finished and opened for public use, the corporation by which it was constructed shall, within one year, file in the office of the state secretary a map and profile thereof, with tables of grade and curvature and a statement of the other characteristics of the railroad, certified by its president and engineer in such form as the department may prescribe.
MA Gen L ch 160 § 120 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XXII - Corporations|Chapter 160 - Railroads|Section 120 - Draw Tender

Section 120. Every railroad corporation shall provide for each drawbridge upon the line of its railroad an experienced draw tender, who shall have full control of the passing of vessels through the draw; and the corporation shall make and enforce regulations for each drawbridge conformable to the seven following sections.
MA Gen L ch 160 § 121 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XXII - Corporations|Chapter 160 - Railroads|Section 121 - Position of Bridge When Not in Use

Section 121. Every such drawbridge shall be kept closed at all times, except while open for the actual passage of vessels. The draw tender shall at all hours of the day and night be ready to open the draw; shall decide, having regard to the convenient and secure passage of engines and trains and the state of the tide, when and in what order vessels may pass, allowing no unnecessary detention; and shall give all the necessary advice and furnish proper facilities for such passing.
MA Gen L ch 160 § 122 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XXII - Corporations|Chapter 160 - Railroads|Section 122 - Passage of Vessels

Section 122. The master of a vessel applying to pass such draw shall give to the draw tender a true report of his vessel's draught, and of anything projecting below such vessel's draught, and shall be governed by him as to priority of right if two or more vessels apply at the same time to pass. In passing, he shall, unless otherwise directed by the draw tender, go to the right according to the tide, if practicable, and shall so place his warping-lines, anchors, cables and other rigging and equipment as neither to interfere with other vessels nor obstruct or injure the bridge; and he shall be allowed a reasonable time for his vessel to pass. A railroad train shall be allowed fifteen minutes to cross a draw before and after it is due by its time table, and any approaching train shall be allowed a further reasonable time to pass.
MA Gen L ch 160 § 123 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XXII - Corporations|Chapter 160 - Railroads|Section 123 - Signals Indicating Position of Bridge

Section 123. Every drawbridge shall be equipped with conspicuous day and night signals, which shall be displayed at all times in such manner as clearly to indicate to the engineer of an approaching train whether the draw is open or closed.
MA Gen L ch 160 § 124 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XXII - Corporations|Chapter 160 - Railroads|Section 124 - Gates

Section 124. The railroad corporation may erect, at a distance of five hundred feet from every drawbridge, or at such other distance as may on its application be prescribed by the department, and on each side thereof, a substantial barrier, so constructed and connected with the draw by suitable mechanism, that the draw, when in position for the passage of trains, cannot be opened or moved until the barriers have been closed across the track in such manner as to be a warning to any train which approaches in either direction.
MA Gen L ch 160 § 125 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XXII - Corporations|Chapter 160 - Railroads|Section 125 - Precautions Taken by Engineer

Section 125. If a drawbridge is not furnished with such barriers, and in all cases if by reason of darkness or otherwise the barriers or signals connected with a drawbridge are not visible from the engine of an approaching passenger train, the engineer of such train shall bring it to a full stop at a distance of not less than three hundred nor more than eight hundred feet from the drawbridge, and, before proceeding, shall positively ascertain that the draw is properly closed for the passage of trains; except that if the drawbridge is between two railroad crossings at grade, within six hundred feet of each other, one stop only shall be required for such crossings and drawbridge.
MA Gen L ch 160 § 126 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XXII - Corporations|Chapter 160 - Railroads|Section 126 - Violations; Penalty

Section 126. A railroad corporation which neglects to comply with sections one hundred and twenty-three and one hundred and twenty-five shall forfeit one hundred dollars for each day such neglect is continued; and an engineer or draw tender who violates any provision of said sections or any regulation established in conformity therewith for such drawbridge by the corporation by which he is employed shall forfeit one hundred dollars for each offence, which shall be recovered in the county where the offence is committed, to the use of the informer.
MA Gen L ch 160 § 127 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XXII - Corporations|Chapter 160 - Railroads|Section 127 - Penalties

Section 127. Whoever violates any provisions of the seven preceding sections, shall, unless otherwise therein provided, forfeit not less than three nor more than fifty dollars. Whoever wilfully injures or defaces any such drawbridge or wharf or pier appurtenant thereto, or any railroad bridge, wharf or pier, shall forfeit not less than three nor more than fifty dollars. Whoever, without the consent of the draw tender, opens or wilfully obstructs the draw, or wilfully makes fast or moors any scow, raft or other vessel in such manner as to obstruct passage to or through said draw, or wilfully hinders a draw tender in the performance of his duties, shall forfeit not less than fifty nor more than one hundred dollars.
MA Gen L ch 160 § 127a (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XXII - Corporations|Chapter 160 - Railroads|Section 127a - Drawbridges; Department; Exemption of Railroad From Compliance With Law

Section 127A. The department of telecommunications and energy may exempt any railroad corporation or other person operating a railroad from compliance with any or all of the provisions of sections one hundred and twenty to one hundred and twenty-five, inclusive, as to any drawbridge upon its line which has not been opened for a period of five years or more.
MA Gen L ch 160 § 128 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XXII - Corporations|Chapter 160 - Railroads|Section 128 - Abandonment of Passenger Station

Section 128. A railroad corporation which has established and maintained a passenger station throughout the year for five consecutive years at any point upon its railroad shall not abandon such station, unless it is relocated under the following section, nor substantially diminish the accommodation furnished by the stopping of trains thereat as compared with that furnished at other stations on the same railroad, except with the written approval of the department after notice posted in and on said station for a period of thirty days immediately preceding a public hearing thereon.
MA Gen L ch 160 § 128a (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XXII - Corporations|Chapter 160 - Railroads|Section 128a - Discontinuance of Passenger Service; Hearing; Notice; Decision of Department

Section 128A. A railroad corporation which has scheduled and operated a passenger train on a regular schedule for twelve consecutive months or more, except for holidays or interruptions caused by storms or other causes beyond its control, shall not discontinue the operation of such train or cut out more than ten per cent of its station stops, except with the written approval of the department after public hearing, notice of which hearing and proposed discontinuance shall be posted by the corporation at the stations involved for a period of fifteen days immediately preceding said public hearing. The department shall render a decision on its findings within a period of sixty days after said public hearing.
MA Gen L ch 160 § 129 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XXII - Corporations|Chapter 160 - Railroads|Section 129 - Relocation of Passenger Stations and Freight Depots

Section 129. A railroad corporation may relocate passenger stations and freight depots, with the written approval of the department and of the board of aldermen of the city or the selectmen of the town where such stations or depots are situated.
MA Gen L ch 160 § 130 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XXII - Corporations|Chapter 160 - Railroads|Section 130 - Signs Indicating Way Stations

Section 130. Every railroad corporation shall indicate to its passengers the name of each way station by placing at or near the station a proper and conspicuous sign or signs, and shall forfeit fifty dollars for each violation of this section.
MA Gen L ch 160 § 131 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XXII - Corporations|Chapter 160 - Railroads|Section 131 - Compensation for Use of Station, Railroad or Grounds of One Company by Another

Section 131. If one railroad corporation occupies or uses, or has a right to occupy, enter upon and use, a station, railroad or grounds of another, or any portion thereof, the department, upon petition of either party, and after notice to the other, and a hearing, shall determine the compensation to be paid for such occupancy and use. Its award shall be binding upon the parties thereto for five years, and thereafter until it is revised or altered by the department, and upon the written request of a party affected thereby, filed within thirty days after the rendering thereof, the award shall be filed in the supreme judicial court which shall have jurisdiction to revise the same as if the award had been made by a commission appointed by said court.
MA Gen L ch 160 § 131a (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XXII - Corporations|Chapter 160 - Railroads|Section 131a - Application of Business Corporation to Acquire, Own and Operate Terminal Facilities; Notice; Hearing; Approval

Section 131A. Any corporation organized under chapter one hundred and fifty-six may apply to the department for an order qualifying the corporation to acquire, by purchase or otherwise, and to own and operate terminal facilities for steam, electric or other types of railroad. The corporation shall agree that its operations, when qualified hereunder, shall be subject to the jurisdiction of the department, and any operating agreements entered into in connection therewith shall be subject to the approval of the department as to their reasonableness. If the department finds, after a public hearing of which notice shall be given by publication in one or more newspapers in the city wherein the terminal is to be located, that the granting of the petition is in the public interest, it shall so certify by order which shall be filed with the state secretary and the corporation shall thereupon be qualified to own and operate the land, buildings and other property used for such railroad terminal facilities.
MA Gen L ch 160 § 132 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XXII - Corporations|Chapter 160 - Railroads|Section 132 - Safety Switches

Section 132. Every switch laid in a railroad track used by passenger or mixed trains shall be a safety switch of a type approved in writing by the department. For each switch laid in violation of this section, the railroad corporation shall forfeit two hundred dollars, and the further sum of five dollars for each day such switch is maintained.
MA Gen L ch 160 § 133 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XXII - Corporations|Chapter 160 - Railroads|Section 133 - Protection of Employees; Blocking of Frogs, Switches and Guard Rails

Section 133. The frogs, switches and guard rails, except guard rails on bridges, which are in or connected with the railroad tracks operated or used by any railroad corporation shall be kept so blocked by some method approved by the department as to prevent employees from being caught therein. A railroad corporation which violates this section shall be punished by a fine of not less than ten nor more than one hundred dollars.
MA Gen L ch 160 § 133a (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XXII - Corporations|Chapter 160 - Railroads|Section 133a - Switch Stands, Lighting

Section 133A. Every railroad corporation shall equip with proper lights or other approved or commonly used devices all switch stands in all yards owned and maintained by such railroad corporation in which trains or switching engines are generally operated during the hours of darkness, except at locations where, and so long as, it is specially exempted from so doing by the department. The provisions of this section shall not be applicable to switch stands or switches located in interlocking signal, automatic block signal or centralized traffic control territory. A railroad corporation which unreasonably neglects to comply with this section shall, for every such neglect, be punished by a fine of five dollars.
MA Gen L ch 160 § 134 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XXII - Corporations|Chapter 160 - Railroads|Section 134 - Bridge Guards

Section 134. Whenever the department shall so order, every railroad corporation shall erect and maintain, under conditions prescribed by the department, suitable bridge guards at bridges or other structures crossing the railroad above the track.
MA Gen L ch 160 § 134a (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XXII - Corporations|Chapter 160 - Railroads|Section 134a - Distance Between Sets of Tracks, Structures or Obstructions; Exemptions

Section 134A. Tracks in a yard or yard area owned and maintained by a corporation or company operating a railroad shall have a minimum distance between center lines of parallel tracks of not less than thirteen feet, plus one inch per degree of track curvature. The center line of any ladder track, or lead track, constructed parallel to any other adjacent track shall have a clearance of not less than seventeen feet from the center line of such other track. Platforms or buildings may be constructed or maintained at a minimum distance of five feet nine inches from the center line of the track adjacent to any such platforms or buildings, providing a clearance of not less than eight feet six inches, plus one inch per degree of track curvature, is maintained on the opposite side of such track to any fixed structure, or the track centers to an adjacent track are not less than thirteen feet, plus one inch per degree of track curvature.  No other structures or obstructions shall be maintained in such yard nearer than eight feet and six inches, plus one inch per degree of track curvature, from the center line of any track; provided, that signals and switch stands therein which are located between tracks and are three feet or less in height above the top of the rail may have a clearance of not less than six feet and six inches, plus one inch per degree of track curvature, from the center line of track where it is not practicable to provide the aforesaid clearance of eight feet and six inches. No bridges, viaducts or other obstructions shall be constructed, and so far as practicable, no bridges, viaducts or other obstructions shall be reconstructed over the tracks in a railroad yard at a height less than twenty-two feet and six inches measured from the top of the rail. Upon petition of any railroad corporation, the state department of highways, the metropolitan district commission, the county commissioners of any county, the selectmen of any town, the city manager of any city having a Plan D or E charter, or the mayor of any other city, the department of telecommunications and energy, after due notice and public hearing, may grant an exemption from any and all requirements of this section; provided, however, that any exemption so granted shall be limited to the specific location described in said petition; and provided, further, that the department of telecommunications and energy shall fix and prescribe reasonable regulations governing the location exempted.
MA Gen L ch 160 § 135 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XXII - Corporations|Chapter 160 - Railroads|Section 135 - Stopping of Trains at Grade Crossings

Section 135. If two railroads cross each other at the same level, the engineer of every freight train and, if both railroads are used for passenger traffic, of every passenger train, upon approaching such crossing, shall stop his engine within five hundred feet therefrom, and shall not resume his course until signalled so to do, when he shall pass slowly over the crossing; but one stop shall be sufficient for all such crossings within six hundred feet of each other upon the same railroad. Every engineer who fails so to stop his engine shall forfeit one hundred dollars; and the corporation on whose railroad the offence is committed shall forfeit the further amount of three hundred dollars.
MA Gen L ch 160 § 136 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XXII - Corporations|Chapter 160 - Railroads|Section 136 - Grade Crossings; Rules and Regulations

Section 136. The department shall make general regulations for all such crossings or special regulations for such particular crossings as it may designate, and in such detail as it may consider expedient; and the supreme judicial court may issue any processes necessary to secure the enforcement of such regulations, or, upon the petition of the department, may enjoin the running of trains on a railroad upon which any regulation relative to such crossing is not exactly observed. The approval of the department shall be required for a system of signals to be established and maintained in concert by corporations operating railroads which cross each other; but no such regulation or system of signals shall exempt a railroad upon or across which passenger trains are run from the requirements of the preceding section, unless a system of interlocking or automatic signals, approved in writing by the department, is adopted by both corporations.
MA Gen L ch 160 § 137 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XXII - Corporations|Chapter 160 - Railroads|Section 137 - Grade Crossings; Interlocking Signals

Section 137. The department may, on the application of a railroad corporation whose railroad crosses another railroad at the same level, after notice to the parties and a hearing, authorize the applicant at its own expense, to establish and maintain a system of interlocking or automatic signals at any crossing of said railroad, and to erect and maintain the necessary wires, rods, signal posts and signals, in such manner as the department shall prescribe. Such corporation, after the system has been established and approved in writing by the department, shall be exempt as to such crossing from the requirements of section one hundred and thirty-five so long as the department continues its approval. Upon payment to such corporation by the corporation owning or operating the other railroad at such crossing of so much of the cost of establishing such system of signals as, upon petition of the latter corporation and a hearing, is awarded by the department, both railroad corporations shall, as to that crossing, be exempted from the requirements of said section. Until such payment the latter corporation shall semi-annually contribute toward the expense of operating said signals an amount equal to the cost to it of operating the signals used by it at said crossing before the establishment of the signals herein provided for. After the payment of such award, the expense of maintaining and operating such system of signals shall be borne by the two railroad corporations according to the proportions fixed by the award for paying the original cost of the signals. So much of the award as relates to the cost of maintaining and operating said signals may, at the request of either party, be revised at the expiration of five years from the original award or from any revision thereof.
MA Gen L ch 160 § 138 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XXII - Corporations|Chapter 160 - Railroads|Section 138 - Warning to Public

Section 138. Every railroad corporation shall cause a bell of at least thirty-five pounds in weight, and a whistle, to be placed on each locomotive engine passing upon its railroad; and such bell shall be rung or at least three separate and distinct blasts of such whistle sounded at the distance of at least eighty rods from the place where the railroad crosses upon the same level any public way or traveled place over which a signboard is required to be maintained as provided in sections one hundred and forty and one hundred and forty-one; and such bell shall be rung or such whistle sounded continuously or alternately until the engine has crossed such way or traveled place. This section shall not affect the authority conferred upon the department by the following section.