Elevating HS2

TK Elevator’s largest infrastructure project in the U.K.

TK Elevator, a global urban mobility leader, has signed a framework agreement to deliver at least 132 victoria heavy-duty escalators, 157 evolution lifts and six goods lifts to the United Kingdom’s largest infrastructure project, HS2. The framework agreement also includes maintenance services for the entire portfolio for up to 20 years. In total, the order is valued at a three-digit million-euro amount, making it the largest infrastructure project in the U.K. for TK Elevator and one of the company’s largest orders achieved to date in Europe.

HS2 is a new high-speed rail line that will form the backbone of the U.K.’s transport network. It will link the capital of London with more than 25 stations across the South, Midlands and the North of the U.K., and is envisioned to improve connectivity and provide extra capacity while reducing traffic and carbon emissions, and thereby providing a green answer to some of the challenges of climate change.

The lifts and escalators from TK Elevator will be installed at four brand-new railway stations on this high-speed network: Birmingham Curzon Street, Interchange, London’s Old Oak Common and the new HS2 platforms at London Euston. HS2 is taking a flexible approach to the project, so the number of lifts and escalators may vary as designs are finalised.

The planning is still under development, but TK Elevator estimates the installation will take place between 2025 and 2035, after which the maintenance period will start. The stations will have a serial installation approach, more or less, (Curzon Street, Old Oak Common, Euston and Interchange) with some overlapping periods.

The longest escalators will be at Old Oak Common in west London, which will take passengers 13.5 m up from the subsurface platforms to concourse level. The new station — where HS2 meets Crossrail services to Heathrow and the West End of London — will boast more than 50 lifts and escalators.

The longest escalators, which will take passengers 13.5 m up from the subsurface platforms to concourse level, will be at Old Oak Common in west London. The new station — where HS2 meets Crossrail services to Heathrow and the West End of London — will boast more than 50 lifts and escalators.

Inge Delobelle, CEO of TK Elevator’s Europe Africa division, said:

“We are honoured to partner with HS2 on this landmark project. We have a strong track record of supporting transport infrastructure projects across the world, most recently in Stockholm, and are confident that our proven expertise, as well as our commitment to sustainability and high safety standards, will help provide the best mobility solutions for this ambitious undertaking.”

The company has delivered mobility solutions to several large-scale infrastructure projects globally, including in Beijing, Istanbul, Rome, Sydney, Moscow, São Paulo and Madrid, to name a few.

Relying on a Product Portfolio With the Highest Sustainability and Safety Standards

evolution 300 lifts offer an intelligent space-saving precision design, offering about 70% more efficient use of space. The integrated energy recovery feature delivers Class-A energy efficiency with 40% less consumption. The lifts will also be fully compliant with EN-81 safety and accessibility standards (Parts 20, 28, 70 and 73), ensuring safe and seamless mobility, especially for passengers with limited mobility.

The expected 157 evolution 300 lifts for HS2 will have capacities between 1000 and 5000 kg, serve 2-3 stops and include a mix of glass and stainless-steel cabins in concrete as well as steel and glass shafts. In addition, six goods lifts with loads of 6000 kg will be installed.

The victoria escalator — designed for a rise of up to 75 m — is specifically built for heavy-duty use. Made in Europe, it has proven its quality on all continents in very demanding public transit networks. HS2’s bespoke technical requirements will be implemented in these escalators to deliver a reliable system capable of providing efficient, round-the-clock mobility for years to come.

Of the expected 132 outdoor escalators to be provided, 128 will operate at a speed of 0.65 m/s, and four at 0.75 m/s. The vertical rise of most escalators will be between 6-9 m.

With experience on large-scale infrastructure projects, TK Elevator knew this one would come with its own set of challenges. These specific units were chosen for HS2 because of the job’s requirements of quality, durability and reliability — which are key to infrastructure projects of this nature.

“We believe that the clear and comprehensive presentation of the whole life cycle of the offered portfolio towards HS2 has been a key to successfully obtaining this project,” said Jan-Philipp Eschenbach, Communications, TK Elevator Europe Africa. “We are confident that with this project, the market will recognize the value that TK Elevator has to offer. We are committed to supporting customers in Europe and beyond with high quality mobility solutions.”

HS2’s goal to build all new stations to BREEAM Excellent standards is a perfect fit with TK Elevator’s sustainability targets. The company strives to become climate-neutral by 2050 and supports the “Business Ambition for 1.5°C” initiative, which is based on the Paris Agreement goals. It is one of only a few companies out of nearly 12,000 evaluated with a top “A” climate ranking from the global non-profit organization CDP in 2021.

In line with HS2’s framework of partnership with suppliers, TK Elevator is also committed to collaborating closely with local partners along the entire supply chain associated with HS2. TK Elevator has a strong U.K. project team with an extensive European task force supporting the project, and the supply of products from its European manufacturing network helps to mitigate the transportation and sustainability challenges. The current TK Elevator mobilisation team — which is in the double digits — is preparing the scale up towards the execution team in close collaboration with the HS2 and station contractor stakeholders. TK Elevator employs around 400 people across the U.K.