A woman has given birth to a premature baby on a high-speed train in Italy with a midwife witnessing the delivery on a phone call.
Passengers on the Frecciabianca 8606 train from Rome to Turin cheered as little Anna was born after her mum was in labour for 40 minutes.
When train manager Loredana Ferreri was told that a heavily pregnant woman was in labour, she started asking if there was any doctor on board, before diverting the train towards Arquata Scrivia, the closest station, in the province of Alessandria.
Train passenger Isabella Carnero, a health worker at the Hospital of Pisa, who was travelling to Turin to visit her mother, called her midwife colleague Daniela Sanfilippo, who was at home on her day off.
The midwife said she initially thought it was a joke but when she realised the woman was actually in labour, she helped the mum deliver her baby through a video call, reports Rai News.
Ms Carnero said the train staff was "perfect" and helped the mum throughout her labour - adding that the woman felt safe while giving birth to her second daughter.
The health worker added that, after asking for some towels, an elderly passenger aged 86 opened her luggage and gave her some clean and scented sheets.
The train manager said she was "glad" to have helped the mum, explaining: "It was a very special and, obviously, unprecedented day's work and everything went smoothly.
"I'm happy to have contributed to this beautiful moment. I've been working for Trenitalia since 1995 and I think this will remain the most adrenaline-filled and beautiful day of my professional career."
After the baby girl was born at around 12pm on Tuesday, she was taken to Hospital San Giacomo in Novi Ligure with her mum.
The train, which was momentarily transformed into a delivery room, then continued its journey and arrived in Turin 30 minutes late.
