Rail crash settlement proposed

LOS ANGELES – Metrolink, a Southern California commuter-rail system, and its former contractor on Wednesday offered to pay $200 million to victims of a 2008 train crash, a proposal that could make it one of the costliest rail catastrophes in the nation’s history.

The offer, which officials said was being filed in Los Angeles federal court, equals the maximum liability established under federal law for passenger train accidents.

But the proposal – and the liability cap – could be challenged by victims and their attorneys. They say ongoing medical costs and other damages caused to the families of 24 passengers who were killed, and another 135 riders who were injured, far exceeds $200 million.

The head-on crash was caused by a contracted Metrolink engineer – employed by Connex Railroad, a subsidiary of a French-owned conglomerate – who ran a red light while text-messaging on a cell phone, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.