Otis 231-Escalator Refurbishment First for SMRT in 35 Years

Otis announced on August 2 completion of a project to refurbish 231 escalators across 42 stations on the Singapore Mass Rapid Transit (SMRT) North-South and East-West (NSEW) railway lines, the first major escalator upgrade since the system began operations in 1987. Each escalator received additional safety features, higher-efficiency machines and new, energy-saving controllers. SMRT Trains awarded the contract to Otis in 2016. Otis Southeast Asia Managing Director Grant Mooney observed the NSEW lines are the railway’s most heavily used, and escalators now able to move at different speeds promise to ease traffic flow and enhance efficiency. Newly introduced safety features include lighted arrows to indicate direction of movement, barriers between escalator steps and skirt panels and handrail speed monitors that can activate a stop command when a handrail loses tension or deviates from top speed. Stations were fully operational throughout the project, necessitating erection of barriers at each jobsite to keep passengers safe. Mooney said crews removed, installed and replaced more than 1,000 parts and major components in each escalator.