Italy adopts first earthquake detection system on Rome-Naples train

Italy has installed its first rail earthquake early warning system (EWS) on the high-speed train line between Rome and Naples, which is designed to automatically stop trains using specialized sensors to detect seismic activity.

This latest transport innovation has been featured in Euronews Travel section, Caliber.Az reports, which informs that the Italian railway network drew on Japan’s decades of experience in earthquake management for the project.

The new EWS is based on a series of integrated technologies that work in coordination to enable timely intervention in the event of an earthquake. Specifically, accelerometric stations equipped with specialized sensors are positioned along the line to detect the initial seismic waves—known as P-waves—and transmit real-time data via a high-performance fiber optic network.

These sensors are distributed across the Rome–Naples section, some installed on the surface and others in deep boreholes to ensure dense coverage and minimize detection time.

Advanced software then instantly analyzes the incoming data, assesses the seismic risk, and identifies zones where safety measures are required. If the system detects that a certain risk threshold has been exceeded, it automatically interacts with the railway’s signalling infrastructure to slow down or stop trains in potentially affected areas.

Once the seismic event has passed, RFI (Italy's railway infrastructure manager) personnel can perform inspections and, via a special control panel, authorize the safe resumption of train service.

The railway venture is the result of collaboration with the Railway Technical Research Institute (JR RTRI), a scientific body of the Japanese railways, and the Physics Department of the University of Naples Federico II.

The system became operational on May 3, 2025, and was tested just two weeks later when a magnitude 4.4 earthquake occurred. As a precaution, train traffic on the Rome–Naples line was halted.

By Nazrin Sadigova