Hitachi Rail

File:EF55-1 Matsumoto 20031013.jpg, built by Hitachi in 1936]]

After the demand for ships decreased following the end of the First World War, Hitachi, under its founder Namihei Odaira, acquired the Kasado Factory in Kudamatsu, Yamaguchi from a nearly bankrupt shipbuilder.{{Cite web |last=Ltd |first=Hitachi |title=受け継がれる技術で拓く鉄道の未来 |url=https://www.hitachihyoron.com/jp/archive/2020s/2021/04/report/index.html |access-date=2024-12-24 |website=日立評論 |language=ja}} This factory was converted into a locomotive manufacturing facility. In the 1920s, Hitachi's railway products included the JNR Class ED15 locomotives, the first electric mainline locomotives built in Japan,{{Cite web |title=純国産第一号の電気機関車が日本機械学会により「機械遺産」に認定：日立 |url=https://www.hitachi.co.jp/information/110725/ |access-date=2024-12-24 |website=www.hitachi.co.jp}} and steam locomotives such as the Class 8620 and Class D50. As mainline electrification progressed, Hitachi developed and produced much larger and more powerful electric locomotives, such as the Class EF55 streamliners (1936), the Class EF56 (1937), and the Class EF57 (1940). During this time, Hitachi also supplied locomotives to colonies in Taiwan, Korea, and the South Manchuria Railway.

File:820b New Tokaido Line, Japan 1971 (51418155455).jpg, the world’s first high-speed rail rolling stock.]]

After the Second World War, Hitachi primarily manufactured locomotives and other railway equipment for two decades. During this period, the company built the Class C62 locomotives, the largest and fastest steam locomotives in Japanese rail history. One of these, C62 17, still holds the world steam speed record for narrow-gauge tracks at 129 km/h. Another notable Hitachi-built locomotive was the EF58, which operated on the Tokaido Main Line express trains alongside the C62. In the 1950s, diesel locomotives were introduced on non-electrified lines in remote parts of Japan. Japanese National Railways adopted two types of mainline diesel locomotives: the diesel-electric DF50 and the diesel-hydraulic DD51. Hitachi was involved in the development and manufacturing of both.{{Cite journal |last=Watanabe |first=Junkichi |date=April 1963 |title=Class DD51 Diesel Hydrautic Locomotive Delivered to the Japanese National Railways |url=https://www.hitachihyoron.com/jp/pdf/1963/04/1963_04_09.pdf |journal=Hitachi Hyoron |volume=6 |issue=22 |pages=47}}

In the 1950s, Hitachi began building electric multiple units (EMUs). Early examples include the Class 1000 Shinkansen prototypes (1962), the 0 Series Shinkansen (1964), and the Series 485 dual-voltage express train (1964). Hitachi has been involved in the development of nearly all types of Shinkansen rolling stock, as well as their operating systems, including automatic train control. Hitachi also licensed the straddle-beam type of monorail from the German company Alweg, which it used for the Tokyo Monorail in 1964, the world's first commercial monorail service and one of the world's busiest monorail lines.{{cite journal |author= |date=October 2, 1964 |title=Tokyo Monorial Service Opened |journal=Railway Gazette |page=793}}{{cite magazine |date=November 1964 |title=Tokyo monorail opened |magazine=The Railway Magazine |page=862 |issue=763}} This product line still exists today as Hitachi Monorail, which is used in ten monorail systems as of {{CURRENTYEAR}}.

File:Unit 395008 at Ebbsfleet International.JPG train produced by Hitachi]]

Hitachi's rail division delivered 120 CQ311 series railcars to MARTA from 1984 to 1988.

Hitachi Rail Europe (legally Hitachi Rail Limited) was established in London as the European headquarters of the company in 1999.{{Cite web|url=https://www.railway-technology.com/contractors/hvac/hitachi-rail-europe/|title=About Hitachi Rail Europe|website=Railway Technology|access-date=2022-11-29}} Other subsidiaries have been established globally.{{Cite web|url=https://www.hitachi.com/corporate/about/group/index.html#hitachi_pqrs|title=Group Companies|website=Hitachi|access-date=2022-11-29|archive-date=2022-11-29|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221129094120/https://www.hitachi.com/corporate/about/group/index.html#hitachi_pqrs|url-status=live}}

Hitachi markets a general-purpose train known as the "A-train", which uses double-skin, friction-stir-welded aluminium body construction. Hitachi's products have included the designing and manufacturing of many Shinkansen models, including the N700 Series Shinkansen.{{cite web|url=http://www.hitachi-rail.com/|title=Hitachi Transportation Systems website|access-date=8 October 2014|archive-date=5 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171105224912/http://www.hitachi-rail.com/|url-status=live}}

On February 24, 2015, Hitachi agreed to purchase the Italian rolling stock manufacturer Ansaldo Breda and acquire Finmeccanica's stake in Ansaldo STS, the railway signaling division of Finmeccanica{{cite web|title=Hitachi agrees to buy Ansaldo STS and AnsaldoBreda|url=http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/business/single-view/view/hitachi-agrees-to-buy-ansaldo-sts-and-ansaldobreda.html|website=Railway Gazette|access-date=15 April 2017|date=24 February 2015|archive-date=1 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201101165012/https://www.railwaygazette.com/news/business/single-view/view/hitachi-agrees-to-buy-ansaldo-sts-and-ansaldobreda.html|url-status=dead}} The purchase was completed later that year,{{cite web|title=Hitachi completes Ansaldo deal|url=http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/business/single-view/view/hitachi-completes-ansaldo-deal.html|website=Railway Gazette|access-date=15 April 2017|date=2 November 2015|archive-date=9 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200509141039/https://www.railwaygazette.com/news/business/single-view/view/hitachi-completes-ansaldo-deal.html|url-status=live}} at which point the company was renamed as Hitachi Rail Italy. Since then, Hitachi has obtained a majority stake in Ansaldo STS.{{cite web|title=Hitachi buys shares in Ansaldo STS to raise stake to over 50 percent|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ansaldosts-m-a-hitachi-idUSKCN0WQ1F3|publisher=Reuters|access-date=15 April 2017|date=24 March 2016|archive-date=17 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201117195206/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ansaldosts-m-a-hitachi-idUSKCN0WQ1F3|url-status=live}}

In July 2020, Hitachi signed an exclusive agreement with Hyperdrive, a UK-based lithium-ion battery company, to bring battery-powered trains to the country.{{Cite web|date=2020-07-15|title=Hitachi drives fast low carbon train travel with new battery partnership|url=https://www.energylivenews.com/2020/07/15/hitachi-drives-fast-low-carbon-train-travel-with-new-battery-partnership/|access-date=2020-07-22|website=Energy Live News|language=en-US|archive-date=2020-07-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200722155008/https://www.energylivenews.com/2020/07/15/hitachi-drives-fast-low-carbon-train-travel-with-new-battery-partnership/|url-status=live}}

Late in 2021, Alstom announced the transfer of business relating to Bombardier Zefiro 300 to Hitachi Rail, as a condition of Alstom's acquisition of Bombardier put in place by the European Commission in order to remain compliant with EU competition law.{{Cite web|url=https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2021/12/01/2344456/0/en/ALSTOM-SA-Alstom-to-transfer-Bombardier-Transportation-s-contribution-to-the-V300-ZEFIRO-very-high-speed-train-to-Hitachi-Rail.html|title=ALSTOM SA : Alstom to transfer Bombardier Transportation's contribution to the V300 ZEFIRO very high-speed train to Hitachi Rail|date=December 2021|access-date=2023-03-02|archive-date=2021-12-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211203181121/https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2021/12/01/2344456/0/en/ALSTOM-SA-Alstom-to-transfer-Bombardier-Transportation-s-contribution-to-the-V300-ZEFIRO-very-high-speed-train-to-Hitachi-Rail.html|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|title=Hitachi to acquire Bombardier Transportation's contribution to the V300 ZEFIRO very high-speed train from Alstom|url=https://www.hitachirail.com/press/#/pressreleases/hitachi-to-acquire-bombardier-transportations-contribution-to-the-v300-zefiro-very-high-speed-train-from-alstom-3148234|access-date=2021-12-07|website=www.hitachirail.com}} The transaction was completed on 1 July 2022.{{cite web | url=https://www.railjournal.com/financial/alstom-completes-sale-of-v300-zefiro-high-speed-train-to-hitachi-rail/ | title=Alstom completes sale of V300 Zefiro high-speed train to Hitachi Rail | date=July 2022 | access-date=2024-10-24 | archive-date=2024-07-25 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240725064401/https://www.railjournal.com/financial/alstom-completes-sale-of-v300-zefiro-high-speed-train-to-hitachi-rail/ | url-status=live }}

In late 2022, Hitachi Rail won the contract to supply train sets for the Ontario Line being planned in Toronto, Canada.{{Cite web |url=https://www.hitachi.com/New/cnews/month/2022/11/221118b.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2023-03-02 |archive-date=2022-12-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221218002909/https://www.hitachi.com/New/cnews/month/2022/11/221118b.pdf |url-status=live }}

In 2024, Hitachi Rail and MERMEC signed a put option agreement for the sale of Hitachi Rail’s main line signalling business in France and its signalling business units in Germany and the UK.{{Cite web|date=2024-01-26|title=Hitachi Rail to sell signalling businesses to MerMec|url=https://www.railwaygazette.com/business/hitachi-rail-to-sell-signalling-businesses-to-mermec/65776.article |website=Railway Gazette International|language=en-US}}

In May 2024, Hitachi Rail completed the acquisition of Thales Group's Ground Transportation Systems for €1.66 billion. This move will help expand its global presence in the rail sector to 51 countries.{{Cite web |title=Hitachi completes €1.7 bn Thales GTS acquisition |url=https://www.railwaygazette.com/business/hitachi-completes-17bn-thales-gts-acquisition/66650.article |access-date=2024-06-01 |work=Railway Gazette International |archive-date=2024-05-31 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240531195652/https://www.railwaygazette.com/business/hitachi-completes-17bn-thales-gts-acquisition/66650.article |url-status=live }}

In July 2024, Hitachi Rail won the contract to supply new M-5 trainsets for the SEPTA Metro's Market–Frankford Line in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US.{{cite web |title=Hitachi Rail to build 200 new cars for SEPTA's Market-Frankford Line |url=https://www.trains.com/trn/news-reviews/news-wire/hitachi-rail-to-build-200-new-cars-for-septas-market-frankford-line/ |publisher=Trains |access-date=25 July 2024 |date=25 July 2024}}

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{{Commons category|Rolling stock by Hitachi}}

• {{Official website}}

Category:Rolling stock manufacturers