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LONDONUNDERGROUND–LONDON,UK
Keeping theTubeon track
The LondonUnderground,more commonly called the Tube, celebrated its 150
th
anniversary in 2013, but it’s
showingno signs of its age. KONE and theworld’s oldest underground railway systemwork closely together
to ensure a smooth and seamless transit experience for one billion commuters annually.
As visitors to theUKcapital know, theeasiestway toget around
London is to ride theTube.With threeandahalfmillion journeys
madeeachdayon11 lines serving270 stations, it isparamount
that all stationswithin this complex logistical network are
operating at full efficiency.
Aspartof theTube Improvement Plan initiatedbyTransport
for London (TfL), ownerof theLondonUnderground, KONE
securedanorder to fully replacefifteenelevators andmodernize
a further four elevators at six busy Tube stations. Further
modernizationpackageswill beprovidedwhen theneed for
upgrades arises.
Step-freepartnership
The new ordermarks the continuation of a long-term
partnershipbetweenKONE and TfL, whichbegan in 2000
with theextensionof the Jubilee line, theLondonUnderground’s
biggest expansionproject inover20years. The installationof
118escalators and34elevatorswas followedbyanorder for35
KONEMonoSpace
®
elevators, all enhanced tomeet theLondon
Underground’s specifications as part of its Step Free Access
project at a number of stations.
“We have a long-standing relationshipwith the London
Underground, andwearepleased tocontinue to improve the
commuter experience in theTube.Modernizing this equipment
willminimizedisruption tocommuters inoneof theworld’s
busiestmetrosystems,”says
MichaelWilliams,
ManagingDirector
forKONEGreatBritain.
Theneworder includes customizedKONEMiniSpace
™
elevators
thatwill carry up to50people at a time from street level to
platforms. At super-busy Bank station, the new elevators are
heavy-duty enough tohandlepeak-hour traffic, carryingover
4,000passengers per hour. The first upgradewill begin at the
Gloucester Road station in2014, with the final elevators to
be installedat LambethNorth in2017. All newelevatorswill be
incorporatedwith theKONEE-Link
™
remotemonitoring system
tomaximizeequipment availability.
Nightowlsoncall
Though invisiblewhen all goeswell, efficient equipment
maintenance is crucial to the safe and efficient transport of
commuters.Operational problemswithanelevatoror escalator
could result inbottlenecksand frustrationduringbusypeakhours.
Thenewcontract includes thepreventivemaintenanceof all
newly installedunitsof equipmentuntil 2034.
KONE’s dedicated team alreadymaintains 150 escalators
and 45 elevators in the Tube, accounting for one-third of
the LondonUnderground’s equipment base.
KONE’s service culture is the cornerstone of its trusted
relationshipwith the LondonUnderground.Oneof their
sharedgoals is toavoid station closures at all costs,withas
muchworkaspossiblecarriedoutbetween1amand5am
when theTube is closed to thepublic.
“We are proactive, accessible 24/7 and flexible in
maximizing themaintenancewindow,which isduring the
middleof thenight –aunique situation that couldonlyoccur
with suchabusyunderground system,” says
AdamLawrie
,
KONE’s LondonUndergroundOperationsDirector,whoheads
a teamof 100KONE service technicians.
“Weensure thateverything runs smoothlybyhaving the right
people ready toattend tocall-outsand repairsaround theclock.
Wealso stockawide rangeof spareparts, so that ifwedogeta
problemweareable to respond immediately,”addsLawrie.
SUMMARY
Challenge
■
Tomeet extremedemands for smoothpassenger flow
inacomplex logistical network
■
Tomaximizeequipment availabilityandavoid station
closures andequipment shutdowns at all costs
■
Toprovide flexiblemaintenance at timeswhen
the Tube is closed to the public
Solution
■
Customizedelevators cancarryup to50passengers at
a timeandaccommodateover4,000peopleperhour
■
KONEE-Link
™
remotemonitoringhelps toguarantee
that all equipment is functioningat all times
■
KONE service technicians available24/7, carryingout
mostof theirworkbetween1amand5am
FAST FACTS
LondonUnderground
■
Project completion: ongoing
(until 2034)
■
Flow: 3.5millionpassengersdaily
■
Coverage: 11 lines serving
270 stations
■
Owner: Transport for London
KONESolutions
Newequipment for11 stations:
■
34KONEelevators
■
118KONEescalators
■
2KONEautowalks
■
KONEE-Link
™
monitoring system
Newequipment forCrossrail:
■
54KONEelevators
■
KONECare
™
MaintenanceService