Hitachi Rail Acquires Omnicom to Enhance Digital Asset Management and Rail Monitoring Capabilities

Hitachi Rail has acquired Omnicom, a leading provider of rail monitoring technology, from Balfour Beatty. This strategic move aims to strengthen Hitachi Rail’s digital asset management business, HMAX, which integrates live data from trains and rail infrastructure into a unified platform. Omnicom specializes in software and hardware solutions for surveying, inspecting, and monitoring rail infrastructure, including systems for infrastructure monitoring, gauge clearance measurement, and line inspection.

The acquisition will enable Hitachi Rail to offer near real-time anomaly detection on rail tracks using edge computing and machine learning (ML), improving maintenance planning and asset lifecycle decision-making. Omnicom’s monitoring and geometry measurement solutions are already utilized by several customers, collecting trillions of bytes of data daily to optimize trackside maintenance operations. Sanjay Razdan, Managing Director of Omnicom, highlighted the acquisition’s potential to enhance safety, efficiency, and reliability through AI-enabled systems.

HMAX, launched at InnoTrans in September 2024, leverages AI and ML to process vast amounts of data, driving operational improvements such as traffic optimization and energy consumption reduction. Hitachi Rail CEO Giuseppe Marino emphasized the strategic importance of the acquisition, stating that integrating Omnicom’s pioneering track monitoring tools into HMAX will further enhance Hitachi Rail’s global offerings. This move underscores Hitachi Rail’s commitment to leveraging advanced technologies to improve rail infrastructure and services.