Hitachi Rail has announced the launch of Train Maintenance DX as a Service, the industry's first «as a Service» solution to improve the work environment and the quality of train maintenance for railway operators, using the digital expertise in train manufacturing that it has accumulated at its Kasado Works in Kudamatsu City, Yamaguchi Prefecture in Japan.

In addition to hardware, the operators will be also able to use its expertise and IT solutions for team-building and production improvement DX (digital transformation) that have yielded results at Kasado Works. After the introduction of the service, work efficiency and quality will be continuously improved, contributing to the improvement of teamwork and motivation at work sites for railway operators.

In Japanese railway industry, the decline in the labour force due to the declining birthrate and aging population and the mobilisation of employment have made it a major challenge to secure human resources to engage in railway operations such as train maintenance. In addition, the work sites of railway operators today rely on paper-based progress management and OJT-based technical education, making it difficult to pass effectively and efficiently on technology while sharing the work environment. It is difficult for employees to see efforts to improve work at the site, and the impact on employee motivation is also a concern.

Train Maintenance DX as a Service enhances the efficiency and performance of the on-site team responsible for train maintenance, supports the creation of an environment where employees can work with high motivation, and contributes to secure personnel for railway operations and improve the efficiency and quality of work at the worksites.