(a) General rule.--

(1) The authority shall have power to acquire by purchase, condemnation, lease, gift or otherwise all or any part of the property of any public utility operating a transportation system within the metropolitan area, including, but not limited to, the plant, equipment, property rights in property reserve funds, employees' pension or retirement funds, special funds, franchises, licenses, patents, permits, operating rights and paper documents and records, which property shall be located within the metropolitan area and shall be appropriate for the purposes for which the authority is established, as well as all or any part of the right-of-way, equipment, fixed facilities and other property of any kind of any utility, extending beyond the boundaries of the metropolitan area and forming or capable of forming part of an integrated suburban rapid transit or rail transportation facility, connecting with rapid transit or electric railway lines of the authority in superhighways or elsewhere. No interest in the right-of-way of a railroad company the operations of which extend beyond the metropolitan area shall be acquired or occupied under the power of eminent domain under this section or any other section without the consent of the railroad.

(2) Such properties, upon acquisition by or lease to the authority, shall become and be operated as part of the transportation system of the authority, and the authority shall have all powers in connection with such properties and such operations as are conferred by this chapter.

(3) The authority shall also have the power to enter into agreements to operate any lines located or extending beyond the boundaries of the metropolitan area, such agreements to be subject to all other provisions of this chapter. The authority shall have power to lease or purchase any municipally owned local transportation subways or other municipally owned local transportation facilities for operation and maintenance by the authority.

(b) Condemnation procedure.--

(1) Whenever the authority shall condemn all or substantially all of the property of a transportation system, it may elect to commence condemnation proceedings without immediate passage of title by inserting a provision to that effect in the declaration of taking. In that event, the provisions of section 402 of the act of June 22, 1964 (Sp.Sess., P.L.84, No.6), known as the Eminent Domain Code, shall not apply, and the title shall not pass to the authority and the authority shall not be entitled to possession until payment to the condemnee or into court of the amount of the just compensation payable for the property taken, determined as of the date of filing of the declaration of taking, as finally determined in accordance with the provisions of this article, provided that such payment occurs within one year of the final determination.

(2) From and after the filing of the declaration of taking until the payment to the condemnee of just compensation for the condemned property, the authority shall have the right to petition the court having jurisdiction of the proceedings to prevent waste, substantial disposition or any transaction with respect to the condemned property other than in the ordinary course of business without obtaining the prior written consent of the authority. The condemnee shall have no right to tender possession of the property or otherwise to demand payment of any compensation prior to the passage of title.

References in Text. The act of June 22, 1964 (Sp. Sess., P.L.84, No.6), known as the Eminent Domain Code, referred to in subsec. (b)(1), was repealed by the act of May 4, 2006 (P.L.112, No.34). The subject matter is now contained in Title 26 (Eminent Domain).