§8012.__Passenger rail liability limitation

In the event one or more passenger rail service providers are protected by a liability insurance policy covering liability for property damage, personal injury, bodily injury and death arising from rail incidents or accidents occurring in this State involving passenger trains with policy limits of not less than $75,000,000 per occurrence annually and $75,000,000 in the aggregate annually regardless of the number of passenger rail service providers protected by such an insurance policy, each passenger rail service provider protected by such an insurance policy is not liable in excess of the coverage limits of such an insurance policy for any and all claims for damage, whether compensatory or punitive, for property damage, personal injury, bodily injury or death arising out of such rail incidents or accidents.__For purposes of this section, "passenger rail service provider" includes for-profit and nonprofit corporations and legal entities that own, lease, operate or manage passenger trains or passenger rail service; the authority; railroad companies that own, lease, provide track rights to or maintain rail lines over which passenger trains pass; and operators of passenger train services.__"Passenger rail service provider" does not include the National Railroad Passenger Corporation or its successor organization.__This section does not affect immunities, limitation on damages, limitation of actions, limitation of liability or other protections provided to the State as defined in Title 14, section 8102, subsection 4.

Sec. 7. 23 MRSA §8111, as enacted by PL 1995, c. 374, §3, is amended to read:

§8111. Purpose

The Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority, as established by Title 5, section 12004-F, subsection 16, is a body both corporate and politic in the State established for the general purpose of promoting passenger rail service as set forth in subchapter I 1. It is declared that the purposes of this chapter are public and that the authority shall must be regarded as performing a governmental function in carrying out this chapter. The authority, as successor in interest of the Department of Transportation and to its rights, privileges and liabilities as set forth in subchapter I, shall receive any federal and state funds previously authorized to the department for that purpose, and upon creation of the authority all such rights, privileges and liabilities of the department cease.