(a) There is created a fund known as the industrial rail service fund. The fund shall consist of money distributed to the fund by IC 6-2.5-10-1 and IC 8-3-1.5-20 . Amounts held in the fund may only be used to do the following:

1. (1) Provide loans to railroads that will be used to purchase or rehabilitate real or personal property that will be used by the railroad in providing railroad transportation services.
2. (2) Pay operating expenses of the Indiana department of transportation, subject to appropriation by the general assembly.
3. (3) Provide fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) annually to the Indiana department of transportation for rail planning activities. Money distributed under this subdivision does not revert back to the state general fund at the end of a state fiscal year.
4. (4) Provide money for the high speed rail development fund under IC 8-23-25 .
5. (5) Provide grants to a railroad owned or operated by a port authority established under IC 8-10-5 .
6. (6) Make grants to a Class II or a Class III railroad for the rehabilitation of railroad infrastructure or railroad construction.

(c) A grant program under subsection (a)(6) must:

1. (1) provide a grant to a recipient of not more than seventy-five percent (75%) of the cost of the project; and

2. (2) require a grant recipient to pay for not less than twenty-five percent (25%) of the cost of a project.

   As added by Acts 1982, P.L.51, SEC.2. Amended by P.L.96-1985, SEC.1; P.L.95-1987, SEC.4; P.L.84-1988, SEC.2; P.L.18-1990, SEC.37; P.L.83-1991, SEC.1; P.L.100-1993, SEC.1; P.L.87-1997, SEC.2; P.L.121-2001, SEC.1; P.L.49-2024, SEC.2.