The authority may charge, alter and collect rates, rentals or other charges for the use or services of any project, and contract in the manner provided by this section with one or more persons, one or more governmental agencies, or any combination thereof, desiring the use or services thereof, and fix the terms, conditions, rates, rentals or other charges for such use or services. Such rentals or other charges shall not be subject to supervision, or regulation by any other authority, department, commission, board, bureau or agency of the state, and such contract may provide for acquisition by such person or governmental agency of all or any part of such railroad project for such consideration payable over the period of the contract or otherwise as the authority in its sole discretion determines to be appropriate, but subject to the provisions of any resolution authorizing the issuance of railroad maintenance revenue bonds or notes or railroad maintenance revenue refunding bonds of the authority or any trust agreement securing the same. Any governmental agency which has power to construct, operate and maintain railroad projects may enter into a contract or lease with the authority whereby the use or services of any railroad project of the authority will be made available to such governmental agency and pay for such use or services such rentals or other charges as may be agreed to by such governmental agency and the authority.

Any governmental agency or agencies or combination thereof may cooperate with the authority in the acquisition or construction of a railroad project and shall enter into such agreements with the authority as are necessary, with a view to effective cooperative action and safeguarding of the respective interests of the parties thereto, which agreements shall provide for such contributions by the parties thereto in such proportion as may be agreed upon and such other terms as may be mutually satisfactory to the parties, including without limitation the authorization of the construction of the project by one of the parties acting as agent for all of the parties and the ownership and control of the project by the authority to the extent necessary or appropriate for purposes of the issuance of railroad maintenance revenue bonds by the authority. Any governmental agency may provide such contribution as is required under such agreements by the appropriation of money or, if authorized by a favorable vote of the electors to issue bonds or notes or levy taxes or assessments and issue notes or bonds in anticipation of the collection thereof, by the issuance of bonds or notes or by the levying of taxes or assessments and the issuance of bonds or notes in anticipation of the collection thereof, and by the payment of such appropriated money or the proceeds of such bonds or notes to the authority pursuant to such agreements.

Any governmental agency, pursuant to a favorable vote of the electors in an election held before or after the effective date of this section for the purpose of issuing bonds to provide funds to acquire, construct or equip, or provide real estate and interests in real estate for a railroad project, whether or not the governmental agency at the time of such election had the authority to pay the proceeds from such bonds or notes issued in anticipation thereof to the authority as provided in this section, may issue such bonds or notes in anticipation of the issuance thereof and pay the proceeds thereof to the authority in accordance with an agreement between such governmental agency and the authority: Provided, That the legislative authority of the governmental agency finds and determines that the railroad project to be acquired or constructed by the authority in cooperation with such governmental agency will serve the same public purpose and meet substantially the same public need as the facility otherwise proposed to be acquired or constructed by the governmental agency with the proceeds of such bonds or notes.