Hitachi Rail GTS Hong Kong Limited wins at Hong Kong Business Management Excellence Awards 2026

The company is recognised for its advancements in automated testing and secure next-generation rail communications.

Hitachi Rail GTS Hong Kong Limited won Team of the Year - Transportation and Innovator of the Year - Transportation in the Hong Kong Business Management Excellence Awards 2026.

The company earned the awards through two key achievements that strengthened safety, performance, and efficiency across major rail environments. The first is the CECS Auto Test Tool, developed to support the Environmental Control System (ECS) testing requirement under the MCS replacement project. The Testing & Commissioning (T&C) team needed to test more than 7,000 ECS mode conflict scenarios, a volume that would not be feasible through manual execution. To address this, the T&C and Research & Development teams jointly designed an offline automated testing tool tailored for ECS logic and conflict-scenario validation.

CECS Auto Test Tool applies Optical Character Recognition and traditional Machine Learning methods to detect screens and execute test cases offline, meeting strict cybersecurity constraints that prevent the use of generative AI or cloud technologies. By automating thousands of scenarios, the system speeds up test execution, improves accuracy by removing the risk of human error, and provides detailed reports for faster issue resolution. This collaboration freed engineering resources to focus on system analysis and troubleshooting, whilst supporting customer requirements for operational safety and reliability.

The second recognised initiative is the 5G overlay designed for the Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) Automated People Mover. The project integrates the SelTrac™ Communications-Based Train Control (CBTC) system with a private 5G Data Communications System to enhance train-to-ground communication. The solution operates in parallel with the existing secure Wi-Fi network.

In July 2025, the first HKIA revenue train became fully functional with 5G. A total of 20 trains were retrofitted ahead of schedule. The new system enables real-time monitoring of CBTC subsystems, supports predictive maintenance, and improves fault handling. It also introduces significant cost efficiencies, as 5G requires fewer access points and can work with third-party public infrastructure, generating up to 60% savings in hardware costs.

The Hong Kong Business Management Excellence Awards honours the most outstanding leaders, innovators, and teams whose initiatives have driven significant business success in Hong Kong.

The HKB Management Excellence Awards is presented by Hong Kong Business Magazine. To view the full list of winners, click here. If you want to join the 2027 awards programme and be acclaimed for your company's employee engagements and management initiatives, please contact Danica Avila at [email protected].