by Shane Henson — March 14, 2012—Washington D.C.’s historic Union Station, a hub of activity for travelers using several transportation services as well as tourists eager to buy wares from its many shops, is in the process of getting an inside facelift through the installation of 18 new escalators, provided by KONE Corporation.
The company was recently chosen by Jones Lang LaSalle and the Union Station Redevelopment Corporation (USRC) to provide modernization and replacement solutions for the mass transit segment, where smooth “people flow” is required at each stage of this project to maintain safety and minimize potential disruptions for passengers.
The project consists of joint contracts with Jones Lang LaSalle and the USRC to supply eight KONE escalators to the station and 10 to the adjoining garage and bus terminal. The joint award also includes a three-year maintenance agreement with a full-time in-house service technician serving 33 units.
Designed by the famous architect Daniel Burnham and located in the heart of Washington, D.C., Union Station is one of the busiest and most recognized destinations in the city. More than 90,000 visitors pass through its doors each day, as the building is served by Amtrak, the Maryland Area Regional Commuter (MARC), and the Virginia Railway Express commuter rail services, as well as Washington Metro subway trains and local and regional bus lines.
The escalators will be equipped with KONE’s sleep-mode feature, designed to help buildings that operate 24 hours a day, like Union Station, conserve energy. The feature adjusts the speed of the escalator depending on the flow of traffic. The optimal speed is set to maintain the flow of people during peak times and reduced during off-peak times, helping cut energy costs and reducing the building’s overall carbon footprint.
The escalator installations are expected to begin in the second half of 2012 and continue through the end of 2013. The building will remain open throughout the project.
