Hitachi Rail has concluded the acquisition of Omnicom, a rail monitoring technology provider, from Balfour Beatty.
The deal, announced in January, is designed to grow HMAX, Hitachi Rail’s digital asset management solution. HMAX is currently deployed on more than 2,000 trains worldwide.
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The acquisition includes software and hardware designed for the surveying, inspection, and monitoring of rail infrastructure assets, such as overhead lines and tracks.
The newly acquired monitoring technology can be fitted onto trains and employs edge computing and machine learning to facilitate “near real-time” anomaly detection on rail tracks.
This technology can generate trillions of bytes of images daily, which can assist clients in optimising trackside maintenance planning and managing the lifecycle of assets.
Omnicom managing director 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.
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By GlobalData“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.”
HMAX was introduced at InnoTrans in September 2024 as a “comprehensive” digital asset management solution that integrates extensive live data from trains and surrounding rail infrastructure into a unified platform.
The platform leverages Lumada 3.0’s digital capabilities.
HMAX utilises AI and machine learning to analyse data, and provides insights that enhance operations and services, including traffic optimisation, energy consumption reduction, and predictive maintenance processes.
Furthermore, HMAX processes large volumes of data in “real time”, with only pertinent information being relayed back to operational control centres.
This capability is claimed to accelerate the delivery of “actionable” insights to transport operators, reducing the time previously required for data processing in maintenance locations.
Hitachi Rail executive director and CTO Koji Agatsuma said: “This strategic acquisition complements our existing cutting-edge proprietary technology, backed by the digital power of the Hitachi Group.
“Our HMAX platform is driving the digital transformation of rail, and the addition of Omnicom’s track monitoring tools further strengthens our global offer to optimise our customer’s railway systems.”
