GLASGOW, Scotland, Dec. 15, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Otis Elevator Company, a unit of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE:UTX), today announced that its UK affiliate, Otis Ltd., will replace all 28 escalators on the Glasgow Subway network as part of an overall enhancement project by Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT). The modernized escalators will better enable the Subway to meet the demands of the 2014 Commonwealth Games.
SPT Chairman Jonathan Findlay said: “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% targeted reduction of CO2 due to their increased efficiency. The Glasgow Subway is a true icon and SPT plans to deliver a modernized network that will last for generations to come.”
The installation of the new escalators is part of SPT’s Subway Modernization 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, prompting the escalator to slow down and thereby use less energy
• LED lighting that uses 30 percent less energy than traditional lighting
• High-efficiency lubrication that uses 98 percent less oil than a traditional lubrication system
“The Glasgow Subway honors us by selecting Otis for this critical public transportation project,” said Didier Michaud-Daniel, president of Otis Elevator Company. “Otis escalators will reduce energy usage at the stations while reliably transporting Glasgow’s citizens and visitors for years to come.”
Otis has also been selected for its energy-efficient products by mass-transit locations around the world, including the World Trade Center Transportation Hub in New York City, Los Angeles International Airport in the U.S., Incheon International Airport in South Korea and metro systems in Germany, Singapore and Taiwan.
The Commonwealth accounts for about a third of the world’s population and an estimated one million tickets will be sold for the 2014 Games in Glasgow. During the Games, 17 sports will be played over 11 days of competition.
Otis Elevator Company is the world’s largest manufacturer and maintainer of people-moving products including elevators, escalators and moving walkways. With headquarters in Farmington, Connecticut, Otis employs 60,000 people globally, offers products and services in more than 200 countries and territories and maintains over 1.7 million elevators and escalators worldwide. United Technologies Corp., based in Hartford, Connecticut, is a diversified company providing high technology products and services to the building and aerospace industries.
