Interesting the sudden flurry of rail liability news coming from the states. First, Florida trial lawyers help kill liability protection for CSX, crashing a proposed Central Florida commuter train. (Think of all the extra miles that commuters will now drive, punishing the environment.) Rep. John Mica (R-FL) still insists the project is a go, while the Lakeland Ledger editorially applauds the resistance to what looked like a sweetheart deal.

In New Hampshire, meanwhile, "CONCORD - A legal cap on railroad damages critical to restoring rail service from Boston through Nashua took an important step forward Monday...The Senate Transportation Committee's support of the rail cap, means the bill could become law later this year if the Senate backs it next week." The bill is HB 1404

And in North Dakota: "BISMARCK, N.D. - About 3,100 Minot residents will share in a $7 million lawsuit settlement with Canadian Pacific Railway stemming from a derailment and chemical spill more than six years ago...[snip] The settlement in the class action case does not include people who filed individual lawsuits against the railroad, or the 228 people who opted out of the class action case to pursue their own lawsuits."