Hitachi Rail is marking ten years of operations in Scotland, a sustained partnership with ScotRail, Transport Scotland and Network Rail — collectively ‘Team Scotland’ — that has delivered industry-leading reliability, reduced carbon emissions by 82%, and ongoing investment in skills and infrastructure.
Since entering Scotland’s rail market in 2016, Hitachi Rail’s growth has been driven by the introduction of LNER’s Azuma and ScotRail’s Class 385. Both British-built fleets have improved connectivity and increased reliability across Scotland, with the Edinburgh (Craigentinny) depot and Glasgow HQ home to 300 highly skilled Hitachi Rail employees.
Across the Central Belt, the ScotRail Express (Class 385) remains one of the UK’s best-performing suburban fleets — currently four times more reliable than the UK industry average for fleets with over 50 units, a record recognised by Golden Spanner Awards in both 2023 and 2025. In 2024–25 alone, 7.8 million customer journeys were made on Class 385 services between Edinburgh and Glasgow, representing a 5% increase on the previous year. Being fully electric, the Class 385 has played a major role in cutting emissions on the Glasgow–Edinburgh corridor by 82% each year compared to the diesel trains it replaced.
Hitachi Rail’s investment in Scotland extends beyond rolling stock. A £30 million upgrade of the 122-year-old Craigentinny depot has transformed the site into a hub maintaining six separate fleets — a breadth of capability that makes the Craigentinny team one of Scotland’s most valuable rail skills bases. Over the past decade, Hitachi Rail has digitally upskilled the workforce, establishing Craigentinny as a pioneer of its UK digital maintenance capability.
Hitachi Rail is also investing in the next generation of Scottish rail engineers. Through its partnership with Powering Futures, Hitachi Rail volunteers support STEM learning and real-world problem-solving at Portobello High School. Through Rail Safe Friendly, the company is delivering safety education at ten local primary schools, with plans to expand to both primary and secondary schools this year.
Hitachi Rail will remain part of Team Scotland well into the 2030s, following ScotRail’s award of a seven-year Class 385 maintenance contract extension in April 2025. That continuity provides a foundation for further innovation — from deeper integration of HMAX™, Hitachi Rail’s AI-enabled digital asset management platform that unifies data from trains, signalling and infrastructure to help operators optimise maintenance and energy use, to the development of battery technology solutions aimed at encouraging modal shift and reducing costs.
Kelly Warburton, UK Sales Director at Hitachi Rail, said: “For a decade, Hitachi Rail has been proud to support Scotland’s railway, investing in new technology and working hand in hand with ScotRail, Network Rail and Transport Scotland to help make the Class 385s one of Britain’s most reliable fleets. Our long-term partnership means we never stop asking what’s next for Scotland’s railways. We are excited about the new battery and digital solutions we have been busy developing, which can help deliver even greater reliability, resilience and greener travel choices for passengers across Scotland.”
Warburton will present Hitachi Rail’s vision for Scotland’s railways at Rail Scotland Conference 2026 on 5 March, where Hitachi Rail is a sponsor.
Tom Hawkesworth, CEO of Agility Trains — a company established in 2008 to deliver the next generation of high-speed intercity trains for the UK’s rail network, including on the East Coast Main Line — said: “For over ten years, Agility Trains has been a proud partner in Scotland’s rail success, investing significantly in the essential infrastructure — including depots in Edinburgh, Aberdeen, and Inverness — that keeps the nation moving. Our commitment to Scotland extends well into the coming decades. From continued investment in our iconic LNER Azuma fleet and train care facilities to pioneering new safety technologies like digital in-cab signalling, our goal is to provide Scottish communities with a high-quality, more dependable rail service. Together with our partners, we are ensuring that Scotland’s rail network is sustainable and technologically advanced for the years ahead.”
Hitachi’s partnership with Scotland spans both energy and mobility. Hitachi Energy is advancing five major projects to connect more than 4GW to the Scottish grid, including delivering power to remote communities in the Shetlands and the Hebrides. In mobility, Hitachi supports more sustainable transport through the daily operation of 159 trains and 150 electric buses across Scotland. Hitachi Energy is also developing a new £3 million UK Engineering Centre of Excellence in Glasgow, creating 90 specialist roles focused on modernising the energy network.
A global business with deep local roots, Hitachi Rail operates across every part of the railway — from train manufacturing and maintenance to digital signalling and smart mobility. With around 15,000 employees in 38 countries and revenues of over €5 billion in FY22, the company draws on the wider Hitachi group’s expertise to develop digital solutions and services for customers worldwide.
