Case study – Environmental impacts – Climate change

Escalators set a new pace

It is well known by now that, thanks to smart new working practices, Tube Lines Escalator Services (TLES) has reduced the time it takes to refurbish an escalator from 26 weeks to an average of 12 – with some being completed in a record eight weeks. However, what has yet to be recognised is the associated positive effect on carbon emissions.

This is good news for Tube passengers who benefit from upgraded, more reliable escalators being returned to service sooner. It is also good news for the environment as it is helping to reduce our carbon footprint. For example, TLES is saving 194 tonnes of CO₂ each year through reduced fuel usage associated with transporting people and materials to site.

“Tube Lines is responsible for 227 escalators, many of which needed major refurbishment when Tube Lines was established five years ago,” explains Ian Kill, Project Delivery Manager for TLES. “This provided us with the ideal opportunity to challenge and review the whole escalator inspection, maintenance and refurbishment process. As well as speeding work up dramatically, this has brought cost savings and environmental benefits through improved resource-efficient and waste management practices.”

These practices include:

Improved waste segregation – All waste from escalator maintenance and refurbishment work is segregated on-site into colour-coded bins, both to improve recycling levels and comply with hazardous waste regulations. Waste is collected daily and returned to the depot in Acton for disposal or recycling as appropriate.

Cleaning components –Traditional steam-cleaning of components raised safety and environmental concerns. So we have now switched to using rags to remove oil and grease. This brings a number of benefits: less waste is generated; components are cleaned sufficiently for them to be recycled as scrap metal instead of being disposed of as hazardous waste; and lubrication oil does not need to be reapplied. The rags are disposed of as hazardous waste.

Escalator assessments – A pre-start inspection determines exactly which parts need to be replaced within the planned maintenance schedule. By cutting back on the replacement of components in good working order, materials are used more efficiently and associated waste is reduced.

Supply chain management – Escalator step suppliers are now taking back certain components – previously recycled as scrap – for potential reuse from completed refurbishment projects. If the components are not too badly worn the supplier is able to steam clean and recover them for reuse. A similar agreement has been established with suppliers to take back the wooden pallets on which escalator components are delivered.

“We had a great deal of work to do on the escalators and we realised we needed to make our processes as efficient as possible to speed things up,” Ian Kill adds. “Thanks to this, most of the escalators are in pretty good shape now and environmental issues are an integral part of our working practices. For example, recycling has become a way of life for us. It took some organisation at first, segregating the waste into separate bins, or crushing packaging for recycling, but once the systems are in place, environmental management is an easy thing to do and contributes to better site management.”