Court Ruling on Metrolink Fatal Crash Case

Trains Magazine General Discussion
1

First round up to Calif. 2d District Court of Appeal where plaintiffs lawyers were trying to say that Metrolink was negligent for operating commuter train in “push” mode. Trial Court and Appelate Court have now ruled that issue is pre-empted by Federal regulations permitting such operation.

For the gluttons for punishment out there, the decision may be found here for a while.

This, of course, is only an installment in a saga of court wrangling that will continue for many years, I suspect.

2

I’m really curious how Metrolink could have been held “negligent” for using a Federaly recognized and approved system of operation that has been accepted and used not just here but worldwide for over a century?

Can you imaging if Metrolink could be held liable for using cab-end units, then every other transit authority in the nation could also find themselves under suit for using such as would the manufacturers for producing said units.