(a) There is created a body corporate and politic to be known as the Southwest Georgia Railroad Excursion Authority, which shall be deemed to be an instrumentality of the state and a public corporation, for the purposes of construction, financing, operation, and development of rail passenger excursion projects utilizing any state owned railway in Crisp and Sumter counties and any nearby county which may be included within the service area as provided by this article.

(b) The authority shall be assigned to the Department of Transportation for administrative purposes only.