WMATA - escalator replacement project complete

[JDC]

Today, Metro celebrated the replacement of its 145th escalator as part of a project with KONE that began back in 2011. https://www.wmata.com/about/news/Comple ... in-content In addition, 153 escalators were rehabilitated to "like new" condition. All new escalators will be covered by canopies, if the entrance did not already feature it. Metro now has escalators from only 3 manufacturers, which it claims makes acquiring parts much easier and faster. "As a result of a streamlined fleet and available supply of parts, the time it takes to make an unexpected repair has dropped 43 percent – from an average of 14 hours in 2011 to just eight hours today."

Metro's press release also mentions that it has issued an RFP to replace another 127 escalators and that it will begin to rehabilitate another 89 escalators starting in April 2020.

[Sand Box John]

JDC
Metro now has escalators from only 3 manufacturers, which it claims makes acquiring parts much easier and faster.

Up until the early 1990s they only had one. When WMATA began procuring escalators through competitive contract bidding and ended the original sole source contract with Westinghouse that is when things went down hill. A lot of the escalators procured through competitive contract bidding have been replaced with new while good percentage of the original Westinghouse's are still in place today.

The original Westinghouse's were modular in design allowing the same parts to be use in escalators of any length including the drive unit(s) and controllers.

Schindler Group procured the elevator and escalator division of Westinghouse in 1988.