THE GREATEST RAIL SHOW ON EARTH
InnoTrans is the biggest rail trade show in the World. Held in Berlin, it’s where Hitachi Rail Europe chose to showcase its latest European successes and capabilities, while demonstrating its wider potential, due to its native country’s technical heritage.
At its stand, Hitachi Rail Europe demonstrated how its successes were drawn from its Japanese expertise - from manufacture and maintenance of rolling stock to traction, signalling and digital railway products.
This was also the first time that the brand could co-exhibit alongside its recent acquisitions, Ansaldo STS in which Hitachi is now the majority shareholder, and Hitachi Rail Italy, previously AnsaldoBreda – showcasing a truly global brand.
The show took place on September 20-23, and Hitachi had one of the largest stands in one of the most prominent halls. This put the company at the heart of an event that attracts more than 140,000 visitors from all aspects of the industry.
The biennial show is a must for any company with serious ambitions in Europe, and it was the logical choice as an event where Hitachi could highlight its capabilities. Since the last show in 2014, it has opened its assembly facility in Newton Aycliffe in County Durham, alongside opening a number of service delivery depots across the UK.” The company has begun delivering Intercity Express Programme (IEP) trains for both Great Western Railway and Virgin Trains East Coast, and while these were manufactured in Japan and shipped as parts to the United Kingdom, the first trains assembled in Britain are beginning to roll off the production line.
They are being joined by 70 electric multiple units ordered by Transport Scotland for the ScotRail franchise. This order was placed in October 2014, with the first trains assembled in Japan a little over 12 months later. Testing in Europe is already under way and they will enter traffic in around a year’s time.
Likewise, Hitachi will also be able to demonstrate its European Train Control System (ETCS), for which it is the first manufacturer to gain regulatory approval in the UK. The company is about to embark on an ambitious programme to fit its ETCS technology to 160 trains, including all 122 IEPs.
Centrepiece of the stand was a large screen that showcased how the new Hitachi global brand has developed its production facilities.
Visitors were able to take a seat and experience for themselves the systems offered by Hitachi Rail Europe, while experiencing the new Hitachi metro trains under development, and service delivery depot locations, via augmented reality technology.
Visitors were also able to receive a demonstration of the Traffic Management System, which recently won Hitachi Rail Europe and Hitachi Information Control Systems Europe a contract to supply Thameslink with TMS. The system has been tried and tested in many of Japan’s busiest train control centres. Tests have begun on the TL network, and so far have proven successful. It is the key element of the £ 6 billion Thameslink contract that, when in full operation in two year’s time, will enable 24 trains per hour to operate through the ‘Core’ between London Bridge/Elephant & Castle and St Pancras International. It is currently being tested on all-new rolling stock.
The Hitachi Rail Europe brand was a key element of the InnoTrans display, but the company also wanted to bring its broader range of products to the attention of Europe. Its metals and cabling systems, and advanced silicon-carbide (SiC) traction and monorail options were also on display.
Hitachi Rail Europe is rightfully proud of what it has achieved so far, but InnoTrans made it clear that its ambitions extend far beyond the scope of its initial successes. Europe will certainly be taking an interest.