Hitachi Rail has acquired the digital rail monitoring business Omnicom from Balfour Beatty to further grow HMAX, Hitachi Rail’s digital asset management business.
HMAX launched in 2024 and offers a digital asset management solution that integrates a vast array of live data from the train and the surrounding rail infrastructure into a single platform.
The platform uses AI and machine learning to process the data and extract knowledge and apply it to achieve operational and service enhancements including traffic optimisation, energy consumption reduction, and an on-condition/ predictive maintenance process.
With HMAX already installed on over 2,000 trains globally, Omnicom solutions will now feed into the platform’s bespoke offering for Hitachi Rail’s customers around the world.
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The new solutions and proprietary technology acquired by Hitachi Rail include software and hardware for surveying, inspecting and monitoring rail infrastructure assets including the overhead line and the track.
The monitoring technology can be installed on trains and uses edge computing and machine learning to provide near real-time anomaly detection on rail tracks.
The technology can enable the collection of trillions of bytes of images per day, allowing customers to optimise their trackside maintenance planning and the asset lifecycle.
Managing director of Omnicom, Sanjay Razdan, said: “From today our technology will complement Hitachi Rail’s existing digital asset management solutions, enabling HMAX to deliver even more for customers around the world.
“This acquisition will also enable us to benefit from the unique digital capabilities of the wider Hitachi Group, enabling us to continue to innovate and deliver AI-enabled systems that can optimise the management of railway infrastructure.”
Achievements and innovations in AI & Data transport technology will be recognised and celebrated at the fourth annual CiTTi Awards on 25 November 2025 at De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms in London. Visit www.cittiawards.co.uk to learn more about this unmissable event for the UK’s transportation sector!
