Opening of London Tube’s Elizabeth Line a Big Step for Accessibility

Accessibility advocates, including Otis, were among those to celebrate the grand opening of the London Tube’s Elizabeth Line on May 24. Otis, which provided the first escalators on London’s underground railway in 1911, manufactured, installed and will maintain 64 escalators on the city’s newest railway. The New York Times observed the multibillion-dollar project, also known as Crossrail, has been 13 years in the making, and that, when fully operational in 2023, will be the longest east line train at more than 62 m. It will increase central London’s rail capacity by 10% — “the largest single increase in more than 70 years,” according to the Times. The line’s namesake, Queen Elizabeth II, visited a week prior to opening-day visitors who included one physically disabled woman who said the step-free access gives her peace-of-mind. Forty-one, including 10 new, stations are step-free to the platform.