Hitachi Rail Scotland operations: 10 years with “Team Scotland”

Hitachi Rail Scotland operations have reached a 10-year milestone, with the company highlighting British-built trains and digitally supported maintenance that it says have improved reliability, supported modal shift, and reduced carbon emissions by 82%, as reported by RailUK. Also, as part of “Team Scotland,” Hitachi Rail says it has been developing solutions focused on resilience and rail decarbonisation.

In 2026, the company is marking a decade of work in Scotland and highlighting a sustained partnership with ScotRail, Transport Scotland and Network Rail. In addition, Hitachi Rail links that collaboration to industry leading reliability, an 82% reduction in emissions, and ongoing investment in skills and infrastructure.

Hitachi Rail Scotland operations and a decade with “Team Scotland”

Hitachi Rail says its Scottish growth began with its entry into the market in 2016, supported by the introduction of LNER’s iconic Azuma and ScotRail’s transformational Class 385. The company says both British-built fleets have improved connectivity and increased reliability across Scotland. Meanwhile, it adds that the Edinburgh (Craigentinny) depot and Glasgow HQ are home to 300 highly skilled Hitachi Rail employees.

Across the Central Belt, Hitachi Rail describes the ScotRail Express (Class 385) as one of the UK’s best performing suburban fleets, with ScotRail also highlighting the Class 385’s performance in a recent update from ScotRail. The company says the fleet is currently 4× more reliable than the UK industry average for fleets with over 50 units.

At the same time, it reports that, in 2024-25 alone, 7.8 million customer journeys were made on Class 385 services between Edinburgh and Glasgow, a 5% increase from 2023-24. Being fully electric, the Class 385 has played a major role cutting emissions on the Glasgow–Edinburgh corridor by 82% each year compared to the diesel trains it replaced.

Craigentinny depot upgrade and digital maintenance capability

Hitachi Rail says its investment in Scotland extends beyond rolling stock and includes people and place. A central example is the Craigentinny depot upgrade, described as a £30 million upgrade of the 122 year old facility. The site is positioned as a hub for Scotland’s railway, with the workforce maintaining six separate fleets.

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Still, the company says Craigentinny’s ability to support both modern and legacy trains makes it one of Scotland’s most valuable rail skills bases. Over the past decade, Hitachi Rail adds, it has digitally upskilled the workforce, establishing Craigentinny as a pioneer of Hitachi’s UK digital maintenance capability.

Separately, Hitachi Rail points to education and safety programmes aimed at building skills for the future. Through its partnership with Powering Futures, volunteers support STEM learning and real world problem solving at Portobello High School. The company says it is also delivering essential safety education through Rail Safe Friendly at 10 local primary schools, with plans to expand to both primary and secondary schools this year.

Class 385 maintenance, HMAX and what comes next

With maintenance contracts for the Class 385 fleet extended, Hitachi Rail says it will remain part of Team Scotland well into the 2030s. For example, the company says this certainty supports further innovation, including deeper integration of its AI enabled digital asset management platform, HMAX, and exploration of battery technology solutions that could encourage modal shift and reduce 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.”

Hitachi Rail is sponsoring Rail Scotland Conference 2026 on 5 March, where Warburton will be presenting what’s next for Hitachi Rail in Scotland, as listed on the official event page from Peloton Events.

Agility Trains, LNER Azuma infrastructure and wider Hitachi activity in Scotland

Tom Hawkesworth, CEO of Agility Trains, said: “For over 10 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 Rail says it has worked with Agility Trains for more than 10 years. Agility Trains was 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. Since 2015, Hitachi Rail adds, Agility has funded critical infrastructure enhancements in Scotland at the Craigentinny (Edinburgh), Inverness, and Aberdeen Clayhills depots to prepare the network for the high-speed LNER fleet.

Agility has held the lease for Craigentinny since 2018 with a long-term commitment spanning beyond the next 20 years, and it says it continues to drive investment and innovation to enhance passenger experience, sustainability, safety, and performance.

Hitachi also describes its role in Scotland across energy and mobility. In 2016, Hitachi supported Scotland’s net zero ambitions as a principal partner of Glasgow’s COP26. Today, Hitachi Energy is advancing five major projects that will connect more than 4GW to the Scottish grid, including delivering clean, reliable power to remote communities in the Shetlands and the Hebrides.

In mobility, Hitachi says it supports more sustainable transport through the daily operation of 159 trains and 150 electric buses across Scotland. The company adds that its commitment continues with the development of Hitachi Energy’s new £3 million UK Engineering Centre of Excellence in Glasgow, creating 90 specialist roles to modernise the grid or energy network.

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