(a) Every person, company, or corporation operating any railroad in this state which connects with any other railroad in this state and which forms a part of a continuous-line railway communication to any point within the state shall afford all due and reasonable facilities for receiving and forwarding by one (1) of the railroads all the traffic arising by the other and shall promptly forward this traffic at through rates without giving any undue preference or advantage to or in favor of any particular person or company or any particular description of traffic in any respect whatsoever. However, preference shall be given to livestock and perishable freight.
(b) The connecting lines shall comply as fully with the provisions of this section and §§ 23-10-402, 23-10-403, 23-10-405, 23-10-406, 23-10-409, 23-10-410, and 23-10-412 — 23-10-431 as if they were the original receivers of the freight or traffic to be shipped or transported over their own lines.
(c) The connecting railroads that receive cars from a connecting railroad in this state for transportation wholly in this state shall return the cars, or cars of like character, on demand, in a reasonable time after the cars are delivered to the consignee.