HITACHI RAIL GTS AUSTRIA GMBH

Their core work

Hitachi Rail GTS Austria (formerly part of Thales Group) specializes in railway signalling, train control systems, and cybersecurity for rail transport. Their core work centers on developing and validating advanced train automation technologies — including automatic train operation (ATO), moving block signalling, and ETCS-based systems — within the Shift2Rail European rail innovation programme. They also contribute to cross-domain cybersecurity certification and embedded systems monitoring, bringing railway-grade safety and security expertise to broader digital and industrial applications.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In 2016–2018, the organization focused on foundational rail signalling R&D — ATO, moving block, IP communication, and system integration testing within Shift2Rail's IP2 programme, alongside embedded systems and safety validation work. From 2018 onward, their focus shifted decisively toward cybersecurity for automated rail systems and virtual testing methodologies (zero on-site testing, formal methods, demonstrators/prototypes). This evolution reflects the rail industry's broader move from developing automation features to hardening them for deployment — securing systems and proving safety without costly physical testing.

They are moving toward deployment-readiness capabilities — cybersecurity certification, formal verification, and zero on-site testing — suggesting they will be valuable partners for projects bringing rail automation from lab to operational environments.

How they like to work

GTS Austria never coordinates — they participate as a partner (5 projects) or contribute as a third party (3 projects, all in the X2Rail Shift2Rail series). With 280 unique consortium partners across 25 countries, they operate in very large consortia typical of Shift2Rail and ECSEL joint undertakings. This profile suggests a specialist contributor that brings deep domain knowledge to large multi-partner initiatives rather than leading or shaping project direction.

Extensive network of 280 partners across 25 countries, built primarily through large-scale Shift2Rail and ECSEL programmes. Their reach spans most of the EU, with particularly strong connections to the European rail and electronics industries.

What sets them apart

GTS Austria sits at a rare intersection: railway signalling domain expertise combined with cybersecurity and formal verification capabilities. While many rail companies focus on hardware or operations, this organization brings software-intensive safety and security competence — particularly valuable as European railways transition to digital, connected train control. Their sustained involvement across the full X2Rail series (1, 3, and 5) gives them deep continuity in the Shift2Rail programme that newcomers cannot easily replicate.

Highlights from their portfolio

• COEMS
  Largest single EC contribution (EUR 467,512) — focused on embedded multicore systems monitoring, showing capability beyond their core rail domain.
• X2Rail-5
  Final project in the X2Rail series (2020–2023), representing the culmination of their Shift2Rail signalling work including integrated technology demonstrators.
• certMILS
  Addresses compositional security certification for medium- to high-assurance systems — directly relevant to certifying rail cybersecurity for deployment.