KONE Awarded Escalator Project at Washington, D.C.'s Historic Union Station

LISLE, Ill., March 5, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- KONE has been chosen by Jones Lang LaSalle and the Union Station Redevelopment Corporation (USRC) to supply 18 new escalators in Washington, D.C.'s historic Union Station. The escalator modernization project was designed by Newmont Elevator Analysts, Inc. of Stone Ridge, N.Y.  KONE was chosen for its expertise providing 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 ten 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.  Over 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.

"We are honored to have been chosen to work on this national landmark," said Vance Tang, EVP and Area Director of KONE Americas. "Our energy-efficient escalator solutions coupled with our mass transit installation expertise will allow Union Station to receive the upgrades it needs while remaining open and accessible to the public."

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.

For further information, please contact:
Kellie Lindquist, Marketing Manager, KONE Inc., tel. +1 630 955 4202

Previous press releases on KONE's orders in the mass transit market are available at www.kone.us including:

- October 12, 2011, KONE awarded project at New York City Subway Station

About KONE

KONE is one of the global leaders in the elevator and escalator industry. The company has been committed to understanding the needs of its customers for the past century, providing industry-leading elevators, escalators and automatic building doors as well as innovative solutions for modernization and maintenance. The company's objective is to offer the best People Flow™ experience by developing and delivering solutions that enable people to move smoothly, safely, comfortably and without waiting in buildings in an increasingly urbanizing environment. In 2011, KONE had annual net sales of EUR 5.2 billion and on average 35,000 employees. KONE class B shares are listed on the NASDAQ OMX Helsinki Ltd in Finland.

www.kone.us

SOURCE KONE Inc.