TKE Lands 122-Unit VT Contract for Quito Metro System

Quito, Ecuador, is building its first metro transit system, and TK Elevator (TKE) has been awarded the vertical-transportation (VT) contract for the first line, the company announced on August 6. Known as Line 1, the project will include 15 stations and is expected to handle 400,000 passengers in the first year. TKE will provide 122 units — 76 of its tugela-model escalators and 46 of its synergy elevators — for the system. Each tugela, featuring glass balustrades and stainless-steel cladding, will be capable of transporting up to 7,300 passengers per hour, while a single synergy can carry 13 riders at 1 m/s per trip. Renato Medrado, manager of Special Projects for TK Elevador Latinoamérica, praised the transit development, saying, “For TK Elevator, it is gratifying to be part of … a channel for accessible transportation at all stops.” The system, under construction by the Quito ACCIONA Metro Line 1 Consortium, is targeted for completion in late 2021. The line will serve Quito’s growing population and connect the city’s northern, central and southern sectors.