Otis Helps Keep London Moving as Capital's Newest Railway Opens

Otis built the first escalators on London’s underground railway in 1911. That history continues as Otis manufactured, installed, and is maintaining 64 escalators on London’s newest railway, the Elizabeth line, which opened in May 2022 – helping to keep the busy network flowing.

More than 1 million journeys were made on the central section of the Elizabeth line in its first five days of operation, with more than 2 million journeys total across the whole line.

"London’s Elizabeth line will carry an estimated 200 million passengers a year and Otis is vital to ensuring everyone has a smooth and safe journey,” said Andy Bierer, Otis Market Group Lead, UK and Nordics. "The Elizabeth line will benefit from our specialized products and services, designed specifically for these demanding environments, and backed by our expert teams who provide best-in-class services to our long-standing customer.”

"I’m proud of the contributions of Otis and our UK colleagues to this exciting infrastructure project. Otis will continue to keep London moving for many decades ahead," Bierer added.

Otis installation teams worked in sites with challenging constraints that required bespoke installation methods, supported by Otis factory engineers.

The project is part of Otis’ long-term contract (running to 2042) to manufacture, install and maintain escalators and travelators on the busy Transport for London network. In addition to the 64 escalators for the Elizabeth line, Otis maintains a further 77 escalators and travelators on the wider London Underground network.

These escalators can operate for around 20 hours a day, and Transport for London set its own specification for the heavy-duty units needed. It’s one of the toughest specs in the industry and Otis is one of the preferred suppliers, with its factory in Breclav, Czech Republic as the main production facility.

Otis is committed to help keep the incredibly busy network flowing. To learn more about elevators, escalators and moving walks designed for rail and other infrastructure sites, visit our Industrial & Infrastructure page.

All photos copyright Crossrail Ltd.