Every railroad company heretofore or hereafter organized under the laws of this State, or under the laws of this State and another State or States, shall have power to lease, sell, transfer and convey the whole or any part of its railroad and all or any part of its other property to, and shall have power to consolidate with, acquire by merger, or be merged into any other railroad company organized under any law of this State, or under the laws of this State and another State or States, or under the law of any other State or States, having power to purchase or lease the same, or to consolidate or merge with the same, and such acquiring or new or surviving corporation shall be deemed to possess within this State all the rights, privileges and franchises of each such corporation of this State so consolidated or merged, including the power of eminent domain, but no lease or sale of all or substantially all of its property, and no consolidation or merger, shall be made with any other railroad owning a parallel or competing line, nor without the consent or approval of the holders of two-thirds in amount of its outstanding capital stock, expressed at an annual or special meeting of the stockholders, of which sixty days’ notice shall be published in newspapers in the place of the principal office in Illinois of the company or companies existing under Illinois Law. The acquiring railroad shall hold the railroad property situated in this State, and the rights, privileges and franchises to be exercised in this State, including the power of eminent domain, subject to the laws of this State for the regulation, government, taxation or control of railroads organized, or which may be organized under the laws of this State.