A Southern California regional passenger rail service announced that it is testing technology that will use the West Coast’s earthquake early warning system to automatically slow or stop trains before shaking begins.

The five-county Metrolink system said the technology is an advancement of a previous version deployed in September 2021 that sends automated messages instructing train crews to slow or stop but does not have automated braking.

The new technology is an interface between earthquake warnings from the ShakeAlert system and a system called Positive Train Control that is designed to prevent train-versus-train collisions, derailments due to excess speed and other dangerous situations.

“The combination of ShakeAlert and PTC is a true game-changer for Metrolink,” railroad CEO Darren Kettle said in a statement.

ShakeAlert, operated by the U.S. Geological Survey, universities and other partners, uses a sensor network to detect the start of a significant earthquake and send alerts to the affected area before shaking arrives so that people and systems can take precautions.

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