Any railroad company which acquires the railroad, property, or franchises of any other railroad company, whether by purchase, lease, consolidation, or otherwise, has the right of expropriation of land and property for constructing or extending its line of railroad, for branch lines, spur tracks, switches, sidings, depot grounds, shops and yards, and for any other railroad purposes, in the manner and according to Louisiana law relative to expropriation by railways.
La. R.S. § 45:618