Every railroad corporation duly organized under the laws of any state or territory, or of the United States, and authorized to build and operate a railroad within this state, which shall have filed with the secretary of state a copy of its articles of incorporation, properly certified, shall have the right to take, hold, and use for the purposes of a railroad a strip of land one hundred feet [30.48 meters] wide, fifty feet [15.24 meters] on each side of the centerline of such railroad, through each and every tract of public land owned or held by the state across which its road shall be located or constructed. When it shall be necessary to protect such railroad from snow, or to use extra width in its construction, such corporation shall have the right to take, hold, and use a strip of land not exceeding two hundred feet [60.96 meters] in width, one hundred feet [30.48 meters] on each side of such centerline, through such public lands. At all its regular stations established upon such land, such company shall have the right to take a strip of land one thousand six hundred feet [487.68 meters] long and three hundred feet [91.44 meters] wide for station purposes.
N.D.C.C. § 49-09-01