What Private 5G Means for Hitachi Rail’s Smart Factory
The deployment of private 5G continues to demonstrate how telecommunications technologies support the future of industrial transformation. GlobalLogic, a Hitachi Group company, working in collaboration with Ericsson, has delivered a private 5G network at Hitachi Rail’s flagship digital factory in Hagerstown, Maryland.
Spanning 307,000 square feet, the facility represents one of the most advanced integrations of telecom-enabled manufacturing in North America. Positioned as the “digital backbone” of the plant, the 5G infrastructure powers automation, worker safety and predictive intelligence, setting a benchmark for smart manufacturing.
The project illustrates how private cellular networks can extend beyond pilot projects to become the operational foundation of large-scale industrial facilities.
Joe Pozza, President of North America, Hitachi Rail, says: “Our new digital factory in Hagerstown is more than just a train manufacturing site: it is a blueprint for the future of rail production worldwide, harnessing the latest AI, robotics and digital systems.
"Private 5G connectivity is a game-changer for advanced manufacturing environments.”
5G enabling telecoms-driven industrial use cases
For the telecoms ecosystem, the Hagerstown rollout demonstrates the breadth of industrial use cases enabled by secure, low-latency, high-bandwidth wireless networks.
The private 5G capability is allowing Hitachi Rail to deploy:
- AI-driven inspection systems operate on real-time data to capture defects and support additive manufacturing.
- Digital twins replicate and simulate railcars before production, reducing errors and accelerating time-to-market.
- Predictive maintenance, powered by industrial IoT connectivity, reduces downtime and extends equipment life cycles.
- Automated quality inspections using high-speed image analysis to drive precision and reduce human error.
- IoT-based material logistics, ensuring safe and efficient automated transport across the factory floor.
Alan Minney, Senior Director of Global Strategic Partnerships for Enterprise at Ericsson, emphasises the relevance for the telecoms industry: “To make Industry 4.0 real, manufacturers need secure, high-performance connectivity that is flexible and scalable.
"The project in Hagerstown shows how private 5G can power everything from predictive maintenance to collaborative robotics, while reducing energy usage and downtime.”
