1. Any two or more railroad companies in this state, existing under either general or special laws, and owning railroads constructed wholly or in part, which, when completed and connected, will form in the whole or in the main one continuous line of railroad, are hereby authorized to consolidate in the whole or in the main, and form one company owning and controlling such continuous line of road, with all the powers, rights, privileges and immunities, and subject to all the obligations and liabilities to the state, or otherwise, which belonged to or rested upon either of the companies making such consolidation. In order to accomplish such consolidation, the companies interested may enter into contract fixing the terms and conditions thereof, which shall first be ratified and approved by a majority in interest of all the stock held in each company or road proposing to consolidate, at a meeting of the stockholders regularly called for the purpose, or by the approval, in writing, of the persons or parties holding and representing a majority of such stock.

2. A certified copy of such articles of agreement, with the corporate name to be assumed by the new company, shall be filed with the secretary of state, when the consolidation shall be considered duly consummated, and a certified copy from the office of the secretary of state shall be deemed conclusive evidence thereof.

3. The board of directors of the several companies may then proceed to carry out such contract according to its provisions, calling in the certificates of stock then outstanding in the several companies or roads, and issuing certificates of stock in the new consolidated company, under such corporate name as may have been adopted; provided, however, that the foregoing provisions of this section shall not be construed to authorize the consolidation of any railroad companies or roads, except when by such consolidation a continuous line of roads is secured, running in the whole or in the main in the same general direction; and provided, it shall not be lawful for said roads to consolidate in the whole or in part, when by so doing it will deprive the public of the benefit of competition between said roads.

4. And in case any such railroad companies shall consolidate or attempt to consolidate their roads contrary to the provisions of this section, such consolidation shall be void, and any person or party aggrieved, whether stockholder or not, may bring action against them in the circuit court of any county through which such road may pass, which court shall have jurisdiction in the case and power to restrain by injunction or otherwise.

5. And in case any railroad in this state shall hereafter intersect any such consolidated road, said road or roads shall have the right to run their freight cars without breaking bulk upon said consolidated road, and such consolidated road shall transact the business of said intersecting or connecting road or roads on fair and reasonable terms.

6. Before any railroad companies shall consolidate their roads, under the provisions of this section, they shall each file with the secretary of state a resolution accepting the provisions thereof, to be signed by their respective presidents and attested by their respective secretaries, under the seal of their respective companies, which resolution shall have been passed by a majority vote of the stock of each, at a meeting of the stockholders to be called for the purpose of considering the same, sixty days’ public notice of the time, place and purpose of such meeting having been given by advertisement in some newspaper printed in the county where the general offices of said company or companies of this state are situated.