Hitachi Rail subsidiary of Hitachi has announced the integration of NVIDIA Corp technology to enhance its railway operations, aiming to reduce maintenance costs and improve transit reliability.
What Happened: Hitachi Rail, a global leader in transportation, is adopting Nvidia technology to enhance railway operations, reduce maintenance costs, and improve transit reliability, the company said in a news release on Monday.
The company is incorporating the NVIDIA IGX platform into its HMAX system to process sensor and camera data in real time. This integration aims to expedite the detection of track issues, monitor power line degradation, and assess the health of trains and signaling equipment.
Hitachi Rail estimates that proactive maintenance is seven times less costly than emergency repairs. The company's existing AI systems have already reduced service delays by up to 20% and maintenance costs by up to 15%, while cutting energy consumption by up to 40%, according to Nvidia’s blog post.
Koji Agatsuma, Executive Director and CTO of Rail Vehicles at Hitachi Rail stated, “Using previous digital monitoring systems, it would take a few days to process the data and discover issues that need attention. If we can instead conduct real-time prediction using NVIDIA technology, that enables us to avoid service disruptions and significantly improve safety, reliability, and operating costs.”
The new AI applications, developed using NVIDIA AI Enterprise software, will be available through the HMAX platform. These tools will help operators monitor train fleets and infrastructure more efficiently, providing timely alerts and optimizing maintenance schedules.
Why It Matters: The integration of Nvidia technology into Hitachi Rail’s operations is part of a broader trend of AI adoption in various industries. Recently, Nvidia’s stock surged following reports that CEO Jensen Huang had completed selling company shares under a trading plan earlier than expected.
Moreover, Nvidia has been actively expanding its AI capabilities through strategic partnerships. For instance, Alibaba Group Holdings recently teamed up with Nvidia to enhance AI and autonomous driving technologies.
Price Action: Nvidia’s stock closed at $120.87 on Tuesday, up 3.97% for the day. In after-hours trading, the stock continued to rise, up 0.76%. Year to date, Nvidia has surged by 150.92%.
Meanwhile, Hitachi’s stock on the Japanese exchange is trading at 3,824 JPY, down 0.83%. Despite the day’s decline, Hitachi’s stock has risen by 88.00% year to date, according to data from Benzinga Pro.
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