Hitachi Rail becomes first transport company globally to use NVIDIA IGX Thor for real-time AI

Credit: Hitachi Rail

Hitachi Rail has become the first transportation company globally to integrate NVIDIA’s latest platform, IGX Thor, into its AI-led digital asset management suite, HMAX. The move brings the world-leading technology directly to trains and infrastructure, enabling real-time edge AI processing for mission-critical applications.

The NVIDIA IGX Thor platform provides up to eight times higher AI compute and twice the connectivity compared with previous solutions. It delivers real-time sensor processing, AI reasoning, functional safety and long-term enterprise support. The platform allows Hitachi Rail to process large volumes of operational data at the edge, on trains or infrastructure, instead of taking up to ten days for processing at maintenance locations.

By using AI algorithms at the edge, HMAX ensures only relevant data is sent back to operational control centres, dramatically improving the speed at which actionable insights are shared with operators. This capability enhances railway optimisation, predictive maintenance, reliability and efficiency for both passengers and operators.

Giuseppe Marino, Group CEO of Hitachi Rail, said:

“AI and data are transforming railways. By adopting NVIDIA IGX Thor, we are bringing the world’s most powerful industrial-grade, real-time AI performance directly to the edge, enabling operators to better optimise their railways and infrastructure. This capability will strengthen reliability, efficiency and optimisation for passengers and operators alike.”

The adoption of IGX Thor aligns with Hitachi’s broader programme to deploy trusted AI and data technologies across the transport ecosystem. In September 2024, Hitachi Rail launched HMAX, a digital asset management suite for trains, signalling and infrastructure.

In September 2025, the company officially opened its $100 million lighthouse digital factory outside Washington D.C., designed to deliver the next generation of high-quality metro trains for North America while achieving operational excellence through Hitachi’s expertise and deployment of “physical-world AI”.

The initiative with NVIDIA complements Hitachi Group’s strategy to harness the power of AI with infrastructure knowledge through its Lumada 3.0 solutions. By showcasing digital and transformative technologies for customers and partners, Hitachi Rail aims to address challenges internationally as One Hitachi and expand HMAX deployment across multiple industries and sectors.