Articles | Volume 26, issue 1
https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-26-299-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-26-299-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| Highlight paper
| 
20 Jan 2026
Research article | Highlight paper |
| 20 Jan 2026
| 20 Jan 2026
The first Earthquake Early Warning System for the high-speed railway in Italy: enhancing rapidness and operational efficiency during seismic events
Simona Colombelli
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Department of Physics, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
Aldo Zollo
Department of Physics, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
Francesco Carotenuto
Department of Physics, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
Alessandro Caruso
Department of Physics, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
RFI – Rete Ferroviaria Italiana S.p.A., Rome, Italy
Luca Elia
Department of Physics, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
Gaetano Festa
Department of Physics, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
Sergio Gammaldi
Department of Physics, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
INGV – Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Sezione di Napoli, Osservatorio Vesuviano, Naples, Italy
Antonio Giovanni Iaccarino
Department of Physics, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
Giovanni Iannaccone
Department of Physics, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
Alberto Mauro
RFI – Rete Ferroviaria Italiana S.p.A., Rome, Italy
Matteo Picozzi
Department of Physics, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
OGS – Istituto Nazionale di Oceanografia e Geofisica Sperimentale, Trieste, Italy
Giulia Polimanti
RFI – Rete Ferroviaria Italiana S.p.A., Rome, Italy
Rosario Riccio
Department of Physics, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
INGV – Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Sezione di Napoli, Osservatorio Vesuviano, Naples, Italy
Stefania Tarantino
Department of Physics, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
INGV – Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, L'Aquila, Italy
Francesco Cirillo
RFI – Rete Ferroviaria Italiana S.p.A., Rome, Italy
Andrea Vecchi
RFI – Rete Ferroviaria Italiana S.p.A., Rome, Italy
Franco Iacobini
RFI – Rete Ferroviaria Italiana S.p.A., Rome, Italy
Data sets
ITalian ACcelerometric Archive (ITACA) M. C. D'Amico et al. https://doi.org/10.13127/itaca.3.1
Executive editor
This study presents the first end-to-end Earthquake Early Warning system designed specifically for Italy’s high-speed railway. It details the full implementation process, demonstrating the technical and operational complexities of integrating real-time seismic alerts with rigid railway control interfaces capable of triggering automatic emergency braking. The successful pilot application has led the Italian railway company (Rete Ferroviaria Italiana, RFI) to prepare for expansion of this system to additional high-speed rail segments across the national network.
This study presents the first end-to-end Earthquake Early Warning system designed specifically...
Short summary
The first Italian Earthquake Early Warning system protects the Naples-Rome high-speed railway by detecting earthquakes in real time and sending alerts within seconds. Using seismic sensors and smart algorithms, it slows or stops trains only where needed, avoiding full-line shutdowns. Directly linked to train control, it boosts safety and minimizes disruption during potentially damaging earthquakes.
The first Italian Earthquake Early Warning system protects the Naples-Rome high-speed railway by...
Altmetrics
Final-revised paper
Preprint