Hitachi Rail has deployed a private 5G network at its Hagerstown factory in Maryland, designed by GlobalLogic with Ericsson technology – showcasing Hitachi’s ‘One Hitachi’ digital strategy to design and deploy digital-change in-house.
In sum – what to know:
Hitachi model – Japanese firm’s group synergies align rail expertise, digital engineering, and IT/OT integration.
Ericsson supply – the only non-Hitachi part of the Hagerstown overhaul is the private 5G network from Ericsson.
Factory blueprint – the model will be lifted for other 5G-based Industry 4.0 setups, within/out the group business.
Japanese industrial conglomerate Hitachi Group appears to be making a good fist of selling digital change to itself. Its ‘One Hitachi’ strategy seeks to combine tech solutions from different units to drive improvements in others. As such, Hitachi Rail, its manufacturing division for rolling stock and railway signalling, has just set down a new digital backbone at its Hagerstown plant in Maryland, in the US; it was designed by US system integrator GlobalLogic, part of Hitachi since 2021, and knitted together with componentry from Hitachi’s broader tech portfolio.
Except this is a 5G setup, and Hitachi does not sell 5G. Enter Ericsson – recruited by GlobalLogic, which resells the Swedish firm’s private 5G systems in the US – to complete the set, and connect a 307,000 square-foot (29,500 square-metre) factory on a local edge-based private 5G network. The Hagerstown plant produces up to 20 railcars each month, apparently. The Ericsson system has been integrated into its IT/OT setup by GlobalLogic; other Hitachi industrial hardware and software is engaged; Hitachi Rail, the end user, brings the domain know-how.
GlobalLogic is also providing “network lifecycle management” – which sounds like it is supervising the NOC functions to make sure the network continues to work. Hitachi Rail reckons the “new digital factory in Hagerstown is more than just a train manufacturing site”. It is a “blueprint for the future of rail production worldwide”, it said. Everything is there, it seems; all the buzzwords are covered: industrial versions of AI and IoT, feeding into sundry machinery, robotics, digital twins to drive Industry 4.0 automation and intelligence in the name of “efficiency, safety, and innovation”.
It lists potential use cases and applications: physical AI (“enabled by real-time data capture and analysis”) for inspection robots or ‘robot dogs’ to detect defects and support manufacturing for spares and tooling; digital twins to simulate and optimize railcars before production (“reducing errors and accelerating time to market); predictive maintenance (“real-time data over private wireless”) to anticipate failure, reduce downtime, and so on; automated machine-vision quality inspections, also for defect detection and product reliability; and “IoT-driven material transport”, or automated guided vehicles (AGVs) as it is commonly presented in PR blurbs.
The point is Hitachi isn’t just buying a 5G network, but using its group companies, with some help from Ericsson, to deliver an end-to-end digital transformation of its own manufacturing. Which strengthens Hitachi’s competitiveness, of course, in terms of digital sales and rail production, and works in theory as a reference model for other group businesses, as well as other enterprises in other industries.
Joe Pozza, president at Hitachi Rail in North America, said: “Our new digital factory in Hagerstown is more than just a train manufacturing site – it is a blueprint for the future of rail production worldwide, harnessing the latest AI, robotics, and digital systems to deliver high-quality, smart, and reliable manufacturing. The project exemplifies true One Hitachi, integrating IT, OT, and product capabilities with digital to accelerate the creation of unique value on a global scale. Private 5G connectivity is a game-changer for advanced manufacturing environments.”
Alan Minney, senior director for global strategic partnerships in Ericsson’s enterprise division, said: “To make Industry 4.0 real, manufacturers need secure, high-performance connectivity that is flexible and scalable. This project in Hagerstown shows how private 5G can power everything from predictive maintenance to collaborative robotics, while reducing energy usage and downtime. We are proud to partner with GlobalLogic and Hitachi Rail to demonstrate the impact of 5G on sustainable manufacturing in the United States.”
Sameer Tikoo, general vice president of GlobalLogic’s network provider business, said: “Private 5G networks are unlocking new opportunities for industries, from advanced automation to energy optimization. Building on our partnership with Ericsson and working closely with the Hitachi Rail team, we are delivering ultra-reliable, low-latency, and secure wireless connectivity,” said. “It’s more than faster connectivity—it’s about establishing the resilient digital backbone that modern industrial operations need to compete, grow, and achieve sustainability goals.”
