HITACHI Rail has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Clever Devices, a US provider of digital systems for metro, light rail and commuter operators around the world, including eight of the 10 largest operators in North America.
Clever Devices, which is headquartered in Woodbury, New York, has offices in the United States, Europe, and South America and employs more than 600 people. The company forecasts a turnover of more than $US 200m this year.
On completion of the acquisition, Hitachi plans to expand the business from rail into other modes of transport and strengthen its presence in North America.
Clever Devices’ portfolio of onboard and centralised data solutions will complement Hitachi Rail’s HMAX digital asset management platform by adding functionality and benefits for public transport operators.
HMAX is designed to optimise performance by connecting data from train fleets, wayside signalling, and track to create a digital twin of a railway. HMAX brings together sensors, railway expertise and the latest in AI and edge computing to maximise performance, extend asset life and optimise costs.
Hitachi Rail also sees benefits from combining Clever Devices’ fleet management technology with its operations control centre systems to offer public transport systems real-time capability across all modes.
