News Releases

02/25/2021

Hitachi America Partners with Louisiana-based Capital Area Transit System (CATS) to Enhance Ridership Experience

Hitachi’s New CBTC Solution Key to District’s $3.5b Transbay Corridor Core Capacity Project

Santa Clara, CA, February 25, 2021 —– Hitachi America, Ltd. (“Hitachi America”) announced today that it has signed a multi-year partnership agreement with Capital Area Transit System (“CATS”) of East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, to increase ridership, through the improvement of passenger engagement, journey visibility and asset utilization.

CATS, the regional transit authority for the Baton Rouge metropolitan area, provides fixed-route service on 25 routes throughout the cities of Baton Rouge and Baker, representing a population of 734,000. With a fleet of conventional diesel buses, electric buses, trolleys, and cutaway vans, this new technology will allow CATS to better address issues reported by customers related to on-time arrival, ineffective communication channels, long-journey times due to layover and transition problems, as well as concerns regarding comfort, cleanliness, and amenities. To address these challenges, Hitachi America will leverage its data-driven digital solutions by Lumada*, in combination with ecosystem partners, to enhance services by designing, and delivering a multi-channel messaging and a mobile-wallet technology to CATS’ passengers. Initial exploratory research began in December 2020, and implementation is now underway.

“Improving the rider experience is at the heart of the strategic partnership between Hitachi and CATS,” said Hicham Abdessamad, Chairman, Hitachi America, Ltd. “Having innovated in the mobility and transport business for 100 years, Hitachi’s passenger-centric mindset, coupled with its data-driven technologies and digital solutions, allows CATS to create a form of engagement that is more connected, flexible and actionable for their customers and partners.”

“We are thrilled to launch this unique partnership with Hitachi, and equally excited to implement these innovative services that allow us to communicate real-time information to our customers,” said CATS CEO Bill Deville. “We are always seeking new partnerships and new funding opportunities, and this is another way we can fulfill our mission of connecting our customers to what matters.”

CATS will continue enriching the lives of their customers and communities by gaining data insights of the holistic passenger journey, leading to operational improvements and improved service offerings for enhanced passenger experience. In 2019, Hitachi and CATS jointly collaborated in pursuing an Accelerating Innovative Mobility (AIM) grant from the Federal Transit Administration to showcase how CATS can incorporate new approaches to improve the rider experience.

*Note: Lumada is Hitachi's digital solutions, services, and advanced technologies for enabling digital experiences, operations, and business models at industrial scale. In 2017, Hitachi unveiled Lumada commercially worldwide to address the opportunities for innovation made possible by IoT data and technologies. Since then, momentum for Lumada has accelerated, with Hitachi driving nearly $10B in revenue from Lumada-based offerings. Hitachi has continued to evolve Lumada to be a data management, IoT, and application platform for all types of data in all industries.