Hitachi and PESA announced strategic partnership
posted on 16th Jun 2026 14:42
On 16 June 2026, PESA Bydgoszcz and Hitachi Rail have signed a strategic cooperation agreement. The partnership covers the development and production of high-speed rolling stock, a joint product offering for double-deck trains, and the transfer of advanced technologies.
This collaboration provides a significant boost to the development of the Polish railway industry, strengthening local expertise in areas where the Polish market is only just beginning to build up experience. For PESA, this marks the start of the next phase of consistent development following the company’s acquisition by the Polish Development Fund, which supported its stabilisation, rebuilding of its production capacity, and its preparation to undertake increasingly advanced technological and export projects. For its part, the Hitachi Group will significantly strengthen its involvement in key sectors of the Polish economy, including transport, energy and finance.
One of the key points of the MoU signed between Hitachi Rail and PESA Bydgoszcz is their joint participation in a tender for PKP Intercity for the purchase of 20 EMUs with an operating speed of at least 320 km/h, with an option for a further 35 trains and their maintenance for 30 years. The agreement provides for a two-stage production process. The first 20 units would be manufactured at Hitachi Rail’s facilities in Italy. The second stage of the project envisages the inclusion and gradual increase of the Bydgoszcz-based company’s involvement in the production process, leading to the ultimate partial localization of the VHS vehicles. PESA would also be responsible for the maintenance of all trains in Poland.
As part of the consortium, the partners plan to offer the Polish operator Hitachi Rail’s flagship ETR 1000 train. They are homologated for operation in countries such as Germany, Austria, Italy and France
The collaboration with the manufacturer of the legendary Japanese Shinkansen and the famous ETR 1000also opens up entirely new technological opportunities for PESA. A second key element of the partnership is technology transfer, covering, amongst other things, the welding of aluminium bodyshells and the construction of double-deck trains. Modern production halls will be built in Bydgoszcz, which will become a local centre of excellence for these technologies, enabling further projects.
The partnership between PESA Bydgoszcz and Hitachi Rail is long-term and involves cooperation on the production of rolling stock for other markets in Central and Eastern Europe, as well as the Scandinavian market. The product portfolio may be expanded to inter-regional and metro trains in the future.
