Hitachi Rail Europe Wins First Traffic Management Contract in UK

London; 27 July, 2015 - Hitachi Rail Europe (HRE) today held a ceremonial event at its Global Headquarters in London to mark the awarding and signing of the Thameslink contract for Traffic Management (TM) in partnership with Network Rail Infrastructure Limited (“Network Rail”).

HRE will supply Network Rail with a traffic management solution with options for the South East and London North Eastern programme, which will provide the framework for a blue print to support the roll out of a full digital railway.

Hitachi Rail’s traffic management systems support railway operations that can be reconfigured flexibly in keeping with passenger demand, to manage and control the running of the railway and support the rapid recovery of operations in the event of a delay or disruption.

In Japan, these systems have been used on busy commuter networks, as well as Shinkansen high speed lines and other main lines for over 40 years, gaining Hitachi Rail a proven reputation for its punctuality and reliability in high density operations.

Hitachi has the technical capability and expertise to support and ensure reliable railway operations in Great Britain and will work closely with Network Rail on the deployment of Traffic Management Systems for the UK railway.

Signing the contract Karen Boswell, Managing Director of Hitachi Rail Europe, said:

“This is a fantastic achievement for Hitachi Rail in the UK, following on the back of the Class 395 (Javelin) high speed trains in 2009, the InterCity Express Programme (IEP) contract in July 2012 and Abellio’s ScotRail contract signed in March this year.

Hitachi Rail is determined to strengthen its railway-related business in the UK and I look forward to working with Network Rail to deploy our proven Traffic Management System, which will bring significant benefits to rail commuters.”

Rail Minster Claire Perry said:

“We are investing in the Thameslink Programme because it will transform rail travel for customers in London and the south east, providing more seats and quicker journeys. It will also create thousands of jobs, making it a vital part of our long-term economic plan.

“Today’s announcement isn’t just about new technology, it’s a key way to improve customer journeys, by increasing reliability and making sure they have the right information at the right time. We have seen huge growth in the number of people travelling by train and this investment will play a key role in keeping those customers moving safely, reliably and comfortably.”

Technical scope of the project will be delivered by Hitachi Information Control Systems Europe Ltd, a new organisation that will bring together the products and experience of TRE, with those of the parent company’s Information & Telecommunications Systems and Infrastructure Systems Divisions – this includes simulators, automatic routing systems and the Tranista Traffic Management Platform.

Thameslink Programme director Simon Blanchflower said:

“Providing a frequent and reliable service through the heart of the city and to a host of new destinations will only be possible thanks to this technology.

“Traffic Management will provide extra guidance to our signallers and work with in-cab signalling and automatic train operation to deliver 24 trains per hour between London Blackfriars and St Pancras International. It will also improve the time it takes the railway to recover from delays and deliver fantastic customer information, to improve performance and passengers’ experience of our railway.”

Tim Gray, Sales Director of TRE, commented:

“We are looking forward to collaborating with our industry partners on this exciting project, which further justifies Hitachi’s investment and commitment in the UK infrastructure market.”

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