§ 21. Court proceedings; preferences. All actions and proceedings under this chapter, and all actions and proceedings commenced or prosecuted by order of the commission, and all actions and proceedings to which the commission or the people of the state of New York may be parties, and in which any question arises under this chapter, or under the railroad law, or under or concerning any order or action of the commission, shall be preferred over all other civil causes except election causes in all courts of the state of New York and shall be heard and determined in preference to all other civil business pending therein excepting election causes, irrespective of position on the calendar. The same preference shall be granted upon application in any action or proceeding in which the commission may be allowed to intervene.