How Japan’s railway innovation went global -The shared future of Asia and Japan How Japan’s railway innovation went global -The shared future of Asia and Japan
THURSDAY, JANUARY 08, 2026
A four-legged, dog-like robot moves nimbly around and inside railcars on the production line. Equipped with high-sensitivity sensors, this “digital watchdog” inspects railcar surfaces for irregularities and defects, taking over duties previously performed by human workers. The scene unfolds at Hitachi Rail’s railcar manufacturing facility in Maryland, on the East Coast of the United States, which began full-scale operations on September 8.