Hitachi Rail has finalised the acquisition of Omnicom, a leading digital rail monitoring business, from infrastructure group Balfour Beatty. The move is set to bolster Hitachi Rail’s HMAX platform, a digital asset management system aimed at transforming railway operations and maintenance through the use of advanced data-driven technologies.
With HMAX already deployed on more than 2,000 trains worldwide, the integration of Omnicom’s solutions will enhance the platform’s ability to deliver bespoke services to Hitachi Rail’s customers globally.
Advanced monitoring technologies
Omnicom’s suite of proprietary hardware and software technologies allows for the surveying, inspection and monitoring of railway infrastructure, including tracks and overhead lines. These systems can be installed directly on operational trains and utilise edge computing alongside machine learning to enable near real-time anomaly detection.
This cutting-edge monitoring equipment is capable of capturing massive volumes of data — including trillions of bytes of images daily — which supports the predictive maintenance and lifecycle management of railway assets. By identifying issues earlier, operators can optimise maintenance schedules and improve overall system reliability.
Hitachi Rail’s Executive Director and Chief Technology Officer, Koji Agatsuma, welcomed the acquisition as a natural extension of the company’s innovation strategy. “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 optimize our customer’s railway systems,” he said.
Omnicom’s Managing Director, Sanjay Razdan, also praised the deal, stating: “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 optimize the management of railway infrastructure.”
Predictive maintenance and efficiency
HMAX was launched at InnoTrans in September 2024 as a comprehensive solution designed to unify and analyse vast streams of data from both trains and rail infrastructure. It employs artificial intelligence and machine learning to generate operational improvements such as traffic optimisation, energy efficiency, and predictive maintenance.
The platform incorporates Hitachi Group’s Lumada 3.0 technologies, merging information technology (IT), operational technology (OT) and physical assets. This integrated approach enables HMAX to deliver a detailed and dynamic understanding of system performance.
Crucially, HMAX also processes much of its data at the ‘edge’ — either on board trains or at infrastructure level — ensuring real-time responsiveness. Only the most relevant data is transmitted to control centres, significantly reducing the time needed to generate actionable insights. Previously, such processes could take days to complete, but with HMAX and Omnicom’s tools combined, this timeframe is dramatically reduced.
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