Otis selected for renovation of Glasgow subway network

By Tom Degun

December 19 - Otis Elevator Company are set to replace all 28 escalators on the Glasgow Subway network as part of an overall enhancement project by Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) to enable it to cope with the demands of the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

The American-based company are the world's largest manufacturer and maintainer of products such as elevators, escalators and moving walkways while they employ around 60,000 people globally and offer products and services in more than 200 countries.

The project is of major importance to the Scottish city ahead of the Commonwealth Games as the event is estimated to sell over one million tickets across the 17 sporting disciplines which will take place over 11 days.

"The Glasgow Subway honours us by selecting Otis for this critical public transportation project," said Otis Elevator Company President Didier Michaud-Daniel.

"Otis escalators will reduce energy usage at the stations while reliably transporting Glasgow's citizens and visitors for years to come."

The installation of the new escalators is part of SPT's Subway Modernisation plan, which includes the upgrade of all 15 stations on the network and the introduction of smart card ticketing.

The Glasgow Subway escalators will be replaced over the next four years and will be provided by Otis' Breclav factory in the Czech Republic.

The enhanced escalators will include environmentally friendly features such as power standby technology, which uses sensors that detect when passengers are not on the escalator and prompts the escalator to slow down and save energy when not in use.

They also use LED lighting which uses 30 per cent less energy than traditional lighting as well as high-efficiency lubrication that uses 98 per cent less oil than a traditional lubrication system.

"I'm delighted that we have Otis on board to replace all escalators with a more modern and reliable version, which will also help us meet our 20 per cent targeted reduction of CO2 due to their increased efficiency," said SPT Chairman Jonathan Findlay.

"The Glasgow Subway is a true icon and SPT plans to deliver a modernized network that will last for generations to come."

Otis has also been selected for its energy-efficient products by mass-transit locations around the world, including the World Trade Centre Transportation Hub in New York, Los Angeles International Airport, Incheon International Airport and metro systems in Germany, Singapore and Taiwan.

Contact the writer of this story at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it