Hitachi Rail STS

Hitachi Rail STS SpA

Company type	Subsidiary
Industry	Transportation, Railway signalling
Predecessor	Ansaldo STS
Founded	2006
Fate	Rebranded from Ansaldo STS in 2019; acquired by Hitachi
Headquarters	Genoa , Italy
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	Andrew Barr (CEO and general manager as of 2016)
Products	Railway signalling systems, train control systems, transport solutions for passenger rail/mass transit and freight services
Owner	Hitachi
Number of employees	4,327 (2018)
Parent	Hitachi

Overview

Hitachi Rail STS SpA, originally known as Hitachi Rail Signalling and Transportation Systems, is an Italian-based transportation firm owned by Hitachi. It operates internationally, specializing in railway signalling and comprehensive transport solutions for both passenger rail/mass transit and freight services. The company is engaged in the planning, design, production, installation, and commissioning of signalling technologies and systems that manage and control new or modernized railway, transit, and freight networks across the globe.

Based in Genoa, Italy, Hitachi Rail STS functions as a fully owned subsidiary of Hitachi. Formerly, it was publicly traded on the Borsa Italiana and included in the prominent FTSE Italia Mid Cap Index.

With expertise spanning the design, manufacturing, installation, integration, and upkeep of diverse train control systems and equipment, Hitachi Rail STS had a global workforce of 4,327 employees as of 2018.Template:Fix/category

1853–2006: Origins and predecessor firms

The company's name traces back to the Italian firm Gio. Ansaldo & C., established in 1853 in Genoa by Giovanni Ansaldo. Initially specializing in steam locomotive manufacturing, Gio. Ansaldo & C. later expanded its operations into shipbuilding as well as electrical and nuclear energy sectors.

In 1881, the American firm Union Switch & Signal (US&S) was created in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania by George Westinghouse, emerging from the consolidation of the Interlocking Switch & Signal Company (focused on interlocking controls) and the Union Electric Signal Company. The latter had been founded by inventor William Robinson, recognized for pioneering track circuit technology. Ansaldo STS acquired US&S in 1988, which operated autonomously until 2009, when it was rebranded as "Ansaldo STS USA," serving as Ansaldo's North American subsidiary.

On the European front, Ansaldo STS broadened its presence by acquiring the French company Compagnie des Signaux pour Chemins de fer (CSE) in 1996. Established in 1902 by Fernand Cumont with backing from the financial group Empain, CSE was instrumental in constructing the initial lines of the Paris metro, with ongoing maintenance responsibilities continuing to this day. After gaining independence in 1912, CSE was renamed Company and Business Electrical Signals (CSEE) in 1920, focusing on railway signaling and electrical production. It played a key role in founding SAGEM and eventually became part of the Ansaldo Signal group in 1996.

In 1993, Ansaldo SpA merged into the state-owned holding Finmeccanica, which underwent privatization that same year. By 2001, Ansaldo SpA's transportation division was segmented into three distinct entities: AnsaldoBreda (rolling stock manufacturing), Ansaldo Segnalamento Ferroviario (signaling and rail traffic automation), and Ansaldo Trasporti Sistemi Ferroviari (design, construction, and maintenance of transport systems). Ansaldo Segnalamento Ferroviario assumed control over Ansaldo Signal—including ownership of Union Switch & Signal and CSEE.

2006–2019: Formation and development of Ansaldo STS

The establishment of "Ansaldo STS" occurred in 2006 through the merger of Ansaldo Trasporti Sistemi Ferroviari with Ansaldo Signal. The company debuted on the Milan Stock Exchange with a share distribution of 60% public ownership and 40% held by Finmeccanica S.p.A. Both predecessor firms originated from the engineering conglomerate Ansaldo, which Finmeccanica gradually absorbed. Ansaldo Trasporti Sistemi Ferroviari was formed in 2000 through acquisition of select units from Ansaldo Trasporti, itself fully integrated into Finmeccanica by 2001. A partial Initial Public Offering followed in March 2006.

On 24 February 2015, Hitachi purchased Finmeccanica’s majority 51% stake and launched a tender offer for remaining shares. Subsequently, during the Ordinary General Shareholders’ Meeting on 2 November, Hitachi Rail Italy Investment finalized acquisition of an additional 40% equity in Ansaldo STS. The newly convened board, chaired by Alistair Dormer, confirmed Stefano Siragusa as CEO and general manager, entrusting him with full operational authority over company and group management.

By March 2015, following the public tender offer and further share purchases at €10.5 each, Hitachi Rail Italy Investments held a controlling interest of 50.7%. Hitachi’s strategic objective included integrating offerings across rolling stock and signaling solutions while establishing a manufacturing base within Europe.

Stefano Siragusa stepped down as CEO and general manager on 31 March 2016 but remained until new directors were appointed at the shareholders’ meeting on 13 May. On 24 May, Andrew Barr was appointed as the new CEO and general manager with full executive powers for company and group oversight.

In October 2018, Hitachi agreed to acquire Elliott Management’s remaining 32% stake, followed by a takeover bid for all outstanding shares. By 22 January 2019, Hitachi announced ownership of approximately 99% of Ansaldo STS.

Since 2019: Hitachi Rail STS

On 30 January 2019, Ansaldo STS was officially removed from the Borsa Italiana stock exchange and rebranded as Hitachi Rail STS.

In early 2024, Hitachi Rail entered into a put option agreement with MERMEC concerning the divestiture of its main line signalling operations in France, as well as its signalling units in Germany and the United Kingdom.

Operations

The enterprise’s activities are organized into two key segments: Freight Rail and Passenger Railway / Mass Transit. Significant undertakings by Hitachi Rail STS and its antecedents feature the Copenhagen Metro, where the company delivers rolling stock, Automatic Train Control, SCADA, among other services; it has also been involved in signalling projects for the LGV Est high-speed line in France and High Speed 1 in the United Kingdom. Additionally, the firm has overseen signalling, train control, and maintenance projects for metro systems in cities such as Paris, Los Angeles, Rome, Milan, Hong Kong, Naples, Shenyang, India, and Thessaloniki.

High-Speed rail

In 1981, Hitachi Rail STS delivered the inaugural signaling system for high-speed rail (TVM) on France’s first LGV route, linking Paris and Lyon. Later, in 2005, the company achieved a significant milestone by implementing the initial high-speed railway operating under ERTMS Level 2 (European Rail Traffic Management System) between Rome and Naples in Italy.

By 2013, Hitachi Rail STS signaling technology was installed on more than half of the global high-speed rail lines outside Japan.

Main Lines and freight

Within Europe, the firm has been instrumental in advancing and upgrading ERTMS (levels 1 and 2), fostering seamless interoperability among various national rail networks.

In the United States, Hitachi Rail STS boasts a legacy of supporting the freight rail sector spanning over 130 years. Its products and systems are utilized by all Class I railroads across North America.

In Australia, Hitachi Rail STS has operated for over two decades, recently developing AutoHaul—an automated train management system designed to enable fully autonomous heavy-haul and long-distance rail operations. The company also delivers cutting-edge signaling and telecommunications solutions incorporating satellite positioning, data radio, and WiMax technologies.

Mass transit

Hitachi Rail STS’s transit control offerings extend traditional signaling methods through technologies such as:

Communications-Based Train Control (CBTC)

A system featuring continuous two-way radio communication between wayside equipment and onboard controllers to precisely determine train locations and enforce movement permissions. This communication network among zones, interlockings, and trainborne units ensures safe, optimized headways while maximizing capacity.

Driverless Automatic Train Control (ATC)

Fully automated driverless train control. Hitachi Rail STS pioneered the first driverless train control system certified under stringent European CENELEC safety standards on Copenhagen’s Metro in 2002. This success led to further deployments in cities including Rome, Milan, Brescia, Thessaloniki, Riyadh, Taipei, and Honolulu.

Traditional metro and light rail systems

The company supplies technology for both conventional track circuit-based metro networks and "drive-on-sight" street-running light rail systems serving major urban areas across the United States, Europe, and other regions.

Planning and Supervision

The inception of Computer Aided Dispatching (CAD) traces back to 1966 when Union Switch & Signal introduced it at the Union Railroad Company in Duquesne, Pennsylvania, marking the industry's first use of computer-assisted dispatching.

Currently, Hitachi Rail STS employs the Optimizing Traffic Planner (OTP), which evolved from the original 1966 CAD system. OTP serves as a sophisticated planning tool designed to address intricate logistical challenges amid dynamic operational environments, aiming to enhance network capacity and improve average train speeds. This system utilizes computational agents that react instantly to updated CAD inputs and field information, generating revised movement strategies that comply with all relevant operational regulations and constraints in real time.

When utilized offline, OTP assists in reducing potential conflicts within newly developed public transport timetables before they are implemented. Conversely, its online application can deliver substantial improvements in capacity across extensive freight-focused rail networks.

Components

The company offers a range of both onboard and wayside equipment and systems, including interlockings like MicroLok II, track circuits, switch machines of the M-style variety, conventional and LED signaling devices, Eurobalise technology, vital relays, hot wheel detectors, and highway crossing apparatus.

See also

• Hitachi Rail Italy