crazy about automobiles

CALTON,Calif (AP)-Southern California's Metrolink  is showing off new crash-resistant train cars that will replace most of its older cars.


The cars, which feature "crush zone" technology to absorb impact in a crash, were unveiled Monday at Metrolink's maintenance facility in Colton.

The commuter rail service began considering using the technology after a 2005 crash in suburban Glendale that killed 11 people.

Another crash in 2008 in the San Fernando Valley killed 25 people and unleashed a second wave of concern about Metrolink safety.

Metrolink hopes to have 117 cars ready by next year.

The $229 million fleet is being built by Rotem, a division of Hyundai, in South Korea.