The order of the Department of Transportation relating to any matter on which the department may act under the authority of sections 7231 and 7232 shall be communicated in writing to the petitioners and to all persons to whom notice of the hearing on the petition was given. Any person aggrieved by the order, who was a party to the proceedings, may appeal from the order to the Superior Court within and for the county in which the way or crossing is located in the manner now provided in section 7202. Any person aggrieved by the decision or judgment of the Department of Transportation in relation to damages for land taken for the purposes of section 7231 may appeal from the decision to the Superior Court to be held in the county where the land is situated, within 30 days after the report of the department is made, which court shall determine the same by a committee of reference if the parties so agree or by a verdict of its jury, and shall render judgment for the damages recovered with costs to the party prevailing in the appeal, but the committee or jury shall not alter the requirements in the report of the department. The appellants shall, when an appeal is taken, include in the complaint a statement setting forth substantially the facts of the case and shall give written notice of the appeal with a copy of the complaint to the opposite party. An appeal may be taken to the law court as in other actions.   [PL 1989, c. 398, §8 (NEW).]