Studies and Research

The FS Research Centre develops studies and scientific research by providing processing, analyses and models that use socio-economic, territorial, environmental and transport market data.

The main areas of research can be divided into 4 macro-clusters: forecasting models for mobility demand, analysis of socio-economic and environmental impacts of transport systems, Big Data and Data Science, Climate Change Modelling. The FS Group shares the main results of its studies and research through the publication of monographs, papers and articles.

Technical Papers are monographic publications with scientific content, which explore issues related to the transport and mobility sector, from the point of view of the technical, environmental, economic, planning and modelling, taking into account the Interaction with innovative technologies.

Evidence from a quasi natural experiment: Reggio Emilia Mediopadana

11 September 2024 - Does the introduction of a high-speed rail station significantly impact local real estate markets, and if so, how? This study explores the effects of the Reggio Emilia Mediopadana High Speed Railway Station on property values using a quasi-natural experiment framework. By employing a Difference in Differences (DiD) approach, the research analyzes how the improved accessibility and connectivity provided by the station influence residential property prices in the surrounding areas. The findings reveal that the impact is most pronounced in civil properties located 20-30 kilometers from the station, highlighting the spatially varied benefits of transport infrastructure investments and offering valuable insights for urban planners and policymakers.

Can Megalopolis be shaped by HSR System?

11 September 2024 - Starting from the definition of Megalopolis  in the sense of "polycentric human development", in which cities exist as separate entities but also as extended functional systems connected by transport infrastructures and flows of people, the analysis aims to deepen the links between some Italian realities, Milan – Turin (MITO), and Rome – Naples (RONA),which because of their characteristics are candidate to be defined as Megalopolis, and HSR services operating between these cities since more than ten years.

The study, which constitutes a first step in the phenomenon analysis, highlights a similar behavior of the two Italian realities in the period 2009-2019; HSR journeys are positively and significantly influenced  by population, employees, local units and gross domestic product per capita as well as by the number of HS services per day.

Mapping the potential territorial impact of railways

11 settembre 2024 - How and how much can HSR contribute to reducing the current imbalances between regions and to strengthening the territorial efficiency, identity and quality?At the 4th International Workshop on High Speed Rail Socio-Economic Impacts, the FS Research Centre and the Italferr Sustainability Unit presented new insights on the sensitivity of the regions, within the study aimed at defining the Guidelines for the territorial impact assessment of railway infrastructures.

Relationship between real estate prices and High-Speed railway services in Italy

11 September 2024 - Is there any relationship between High-Speed Rail Railway services and real estate prices in Italy? At the ‘4th International Workshop on High-Speed Rail Socioeconomic Impacts’ the FS Research Centre of Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane presented a preliminary study aimed at investigating a relationship between High Speed Railway services and residential real estate market price. The analysis focuses on some cities along the main Italian HSR corridor. The study was developed in collaboration with the Polytechnic University of Turin and the University of Naples Federico II.

Flood Susceptibility Assessment for Improving the Resilience Capacity of Railway Infrastructure Networks

11 September 2024 - What topographical, environmental and hydrological factors influence the risk of flooding, in areas where railway infrastructure is present? This is the topic analysed in the scientific article 'Flood Susceptibility Assessment for Improving the Resilience Capacity of Railway Infrastructure Networks', published in Water, whose authors include Mario Tartaglia, Head of the FS Group Research Centre, and Andrea Fiduccia, Head of Decision Support Models. The study identifies the different factors (slope, altitude, precipitation, land use and soil covering, distance from rivers, geology, topographic moisture index, and drainage density) that affect the safety of railway infrastructure, and uses multi-criteria analysis (MCA) to generate flood susceptibility maps within a geographic information system (GIS).

High-Speed Rail and Students’ Mobility

11 September 2024 - Can high-speed trains affect the educational choices of university students in Italy? This study was presented at the 4^th International Workshop on High-Speed Rail Socio-Economic Impacts, and is the result of a collaboration between FS Research Centre - guided by Mario Tartaglia with Ilaria Lopresti - and Bank of Italy's economists. The analysis uses MUR (Ministry of University and Research) micro-data to reveal that universities located in provinces reached by the AV service benefited from a significant increase in out-of-town student enrolment in the following years, compared to provinces not served by the AV. These results, although preliminary, pave the way for further investigation of a topic of scientific interest that has been little explored in literature".

10th ITF Statistics Meeting

11 and 12 April 2024 - Held in Paris, the 10th "ITF Statistics Meeting" brought together statisticians and transport experts from around the world at the OECD, to discuss the latest developments in data analysis and statistics, work on common standards and understand how to innovate the mobility sector by exploiting new data sources. All member countries belonging to the ITF - International Transport Forum were represented at the annual meeting of the Statistics Working Group. Italy's representatives, nominated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, were Mario Tartaglia, Head of the FS Group's FS Research Centre, and Giovanna Astori, Technologist, DIPS/Direzione Centrale Statistiche Ambientali e Territoriali - Istat. Mario Tartaglia and Giovanna Astori participated as lecturers to the session 'Challenges and Innovation in Transport Data Collection and Measurement', by presenting the study 'Methodological Aspects for Passenger Mobility Analysis using Big Data'.

Asita Academy 2023. Actual and expected roles of geomatics within the next generation eu framework: from science to public services

18 December 2023 - How can the resilience of railways against extreme hydro-meteorological events be improved? This question was answered by the study “Towards a spatial decision support system for hydrogeological risk mitigation in the railway sector”, carried out by FS Research Centre of Ferrovie dello Stato Group, RFI and Parthenope University of Naples. The study was presented at the Asita Academy 2023, highlighting how the use of a spatial decision support system (SDSS) integrated with GIS functionality and predictive models is able to facilitate strategic decision-making for the adaptation of the railway network to hydrogeological risk.