Balfour Beatty has struck a deal to sell its digital rail infrastructure monitoring business Omnicom to Hitachi Rail.

The acquisition will support Omnicom’s growth strategy to expand into the US and European markets.

Omnicom produces hardware and advanced software for surveying, inspecting, and monitoring rail infrastructure, including gauge clearance measurement, line visual inspection and scanning infrastructure.

Its monitoring systems can be installed on trains to provide near real-time track detection.

Balfour Beatty said its UK Rail business would continue to focus on its core capability of managing, enhancing and maintaining thousands of miles of railways.

Over the last decade, Omnicom’s capabilities and offering to the market has strengthened through acquisition and organic growth.

It employs over 100 engineers out of offices in York and Derby focused on capturing and processing data engineering data.

Mick Rayner, Managing Director of Balfour Beatty’s UK Rail business, said: “In order to capitalise on its unique technological solutions to the rail market, Omnicom requires an owner with a truly global reach and a complementary culture.

“Hitachi’s acquisition will further enable Omnicom to leverage its capabilities and apply its expertise in the rail and digital technology sectors in both the US and European markets.”