A Southern California commuter rail system which serves Ventura County is testing new earthquake preparedness technology which would automatically slow or stop a train during a significant quake.
Metrolink is testing the system on its Perris Valley line, between Riverside and Perris. If it goes well, the plan is to add the it to all of the region's trains.
The commuter rail service has already deployed technology which can automatically notify train crews when a quake occurs. The goal is to give crews several seconds to slow a train before shaking from a distant quake begins. The new system would act even faster by eliminating the human reaction time.
Metrolink serves five Southern California counties, carrying nearly 12 million passengers a year.