History
Hitachi Information Control Systems (HICSE)

HICSE was formed in September 2015 following Network Rail’s award to Hitachi Rail Europe of the contract to supply a Traffic Management System (TMS) for the Thameslink Core. Prior to this the company was called The Railway Engineering Company (TRE) which was acquired by Hitachi in 2012.
TRE supplied signaller training and assessment simulators as well as automatic routing systems, products which complement and support Hitachi’s product portfolio in the European Traffic Management Railway (TMS) sector.
Hitachi
As a company that’s been focused on social innovation since its inception, Hitachi has an illustrious history of developing leading edge technology and innovative products that enhance lives, improve communities and inspire action.
In 1910, Hitachi was founded as a mining machinery repair shop. At a time when Japan was relying on imported products and technology, one team chose to rely on a different resource, themselves.
They began to develop and deliver original products and technologies bound by Hitachi founder Namihei Odaira’s belief that they should “Contribute to society through the development of superior, original technology and products”.
TRE
Founded in 2000 by three signalling engineers to provide consultancy services to the rail industry, TRE very quickly gained a reputation for efficient product and project delivery with companies such as Westinghouse Rail Systems (now Siemens).
Following the Cullen Report (which highlighted failings in signaller training that had contributed to the Ladbroke Grove Accident) TRE developed the first signaller training simulator (TREsim) which was installed at Network Rail’s new IECC at Slough in September 2001.
Although separated by 90 years there are many similarities between the founders of Hitachi and TRE, they each had a desire to supply original products and technologies that would provide a positive benefit to society.
1910 - 1924

Company Milestones
Hitachi
1910 – Company formed – Completed five-horsepower induction motor
1916 – Completed 10,000-hp (7,355-kW) water turbine
1924 – Completed the first large-scale DC electric locomotive to be manufactured in Japan
1964 - 1982

Hitachi
1964 – Completed the first cars for the Shinkansen (Bullet Train)
1977 – Completed construction of Fugen advanced thermal converter reactor
1982 – Hitachi Europe Ltd Established
1999 - 2006

Hitachi
1999 – Hitachi Rail Europe established in the UK
2005 – Exhibited “EMIEW” two-wheel mobile robot capable of direct dialogue at the 2005 World Exposition Aichi, Japan
2006 – Basic experiment on the application of Optical Topography as a brain-machine interface
2000 - 2005

TRE
2000 – TRE Incorporated
2004 – Awarded contract to supply TREsim to all Electronic Signalling Centres (IECCs) in the UK
2005 – TREsa Development Agreement signed with GE Transportation Systems
2006 - 2008

TRE
2006 – 1st deployment of TREsim for MCS
2008 – 1st deployment of TREsim for WESTCAD
2008 – TREsim installed at all IECCs
2009 - 2012

TRE
2009 – 1st deployment of TREsim overseas (Norway)
2012 – TRE assist Network Rail to evaluate TMS supplier’s prototype systems
2012 – TRE is acquired by Hitachi
Traffic Management

2013 – TREmodel deployed on Derby Station area Re-modelling
2014 – TRE awarded contract to support the Thales TMS contracts at Romford and Cardiff
2015 – Hitachi Rail Europe wins Thameslink TMS
2015 – TRE is rebranded to Hitachi Information Control Systems Europe Ltd (HICSE)
2016 – HICSE exhibit with Hitachi Rail Europe and Ansaldo STS at Innotrans
2016 – TREsa Secures full Product Acceptance