State Codes and Statutes
Statutes > North-carolina > Chapter_136 > GS_136-44_36§136‑44.36. Department of Transportation designated as agency toadminister federal and State railroad revitalization programs.
The General Assembly herebydesignates the Department of Transportation as the agency of the State of NorthCarolina responsible for administering all State and federal railroadrevitalization programs. The Department of Transportation is authorized todevelop, and the Board of Transportation is authorized to adopt, a Staterailroad plan, and the Department of Transportation is authorized to do allthings necessary under applicable State and federal legislation to properlyadminister State and federal railroad revitalization programs within the State.Such authority shall include, but shall not be limited to, the power to receivefederal funds and distribute and expend federal and State funds for railprograms designed to cover the costs of acquiring, by purchase, lease or othermanner as the department considers appropriate, a railroad line or other railproperty to maintain existing or to provide future rail service; the costs ofrehabilitating and improving rail property on railroad lines to the extentnecessary to permit safe, adequate and efficient rail service on such lines;and the costs of constructing rail or rail related facilities for the purposeof improving the quality, efficiency and safety of rail service. The Departmentshall also have the authority to preserve railroad corridors for futurerailroad use and interim compatible uses and may lease such corridors for interimcompatible uses. Such authority shall also include the power to receive andadminister federal financial assistance without State financial participationto railroad companies to cover the costs of local rail service continuationpayments, of rail line rehabilitation, and of rail line construction as listedabove. This Article shall not be construed to grant to the department the poweror authority to operate directly any rail line or rail facilities. (1979,c. 658, s. 2; 1987 (Reg. Sess., 1988), c. 1071, s. 1; 1989, c. 600, s. 2.)
