Otis Singapore Completes Refurbishment of Over 200 Escalators in 42 MRT Stations

6-year project was completed along Singapore’s North-South and East-West railway lines

Otis (NYSE: OTIS), the world’s leading company for elevator and escalator manufacturing, installation, and service, has completed the project to completely refurbish 231 escalators across 42 stations on the Singapore MRT North-South and East-West (NSEW) railway lines. Each of the escalators has been upgraded with additional safety features, higher efficiency machines and new energy-saving controllers.

The project is the first major refurbishment project since the NSEW railway lines began operations in 1987. It was awarded in 2016 to Otis by Singapore Mass Rapid Transit (SMRT) Trains– a local public transport service provider.

“With the NSEW lines being the most heavily utilized rail lines in Singapore’s MRT network, Otis is vital to ensuring that all passengers enjoy a safe and smooth journey,” said Grant Mooney, Managing Director, Southeast Asia. “The upgraded escalators can now move at different speeds to better cater to passenger traffic during different periods of the day, making them more energy and cost efficient.”

The escalators are programmed to move at a slower speed at 0.5 meters per second during off-peak hours which makes them safer for the elderly and young children. During peak hours, the escalators will move at the standard 0.75 meters per second to move more passengers as the trains arrive and depart from the stations.

Newly introduced safety features include lighted arrows to indicate the direction each escalator is moving in and skirt deflectors – barriers between the escalator steps and the skirt panels – which can prevent passenger’s feet or dresses from getting caught between the gaps. And handrail speed monitors activate a stop command when a handrail loses its tension or when the handrail speed deviates from the step speed.

Together the teams overcame numerous challenges – including daily work live stations that were full and operational. Hoardings, or solid barriers, were erected before work commenced at each site to keep passengers away from any hazards.

“I am immensely proud of our team who have worked closely with SMRT Trains and the Land Transport Authority (LTA) over the past years to remove, install and replace more than 1,000 parts and major components in each escalator,” said Mooney. “Safety of the public and our team has always been our top priority. Otis will continue to contribute toward the revitalization of Singapore’s infrastructure and keep the city moving.”

To learn more about elevators, escalators and moving walks designed for rail and other infrastructure sites, visit our Industrial & Infrastructure page.

About Otis

Otis gives people freedom to connect and thrive in a taller, faster, smarter world. The global leader in the manufacture, installation and servicing of elevators and escalators, we move 2 billion people a day and maintain more than 2.1 million customer units worldwide – the industry's largest Service portfolio. You’ll find us in the world's most iconic structures, as well as residential and commercial buildings, transportation hubs and everywhere people are on the move. Headquartered in Connecticut, USA, Otis is 70,000 people strong, including 41,000 field professionals, all committed to meeting the diverse needs of our customers and passengers in more than 200 countries and territories. To learn more, visit www.otis.com and follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter @OtisElevatorCo.