TfL signs Otis to keep the Tube's escalators moving until the 2040s

"Transport for London ( TfL) has awarded a 16-year contract to Otis to service and modernise 172 of its escalators across the London Underground network. The deal significantly expands Otis's role underground. Once the contract begins, the company will maintain more than 300 of TfL's roughly 570 escalators, making it the single largest escalator contractor on the network. Otis has a long history with the London Underground, as it was the firm that installed the very first one at Earl's Court back in 1911,"

"Back to modern times, and from April 2026, Otis will be responsible for keeping them moving - supplying spare parts, carrying out repairs, and replacing components as they reach the end of their working lives. The new agreement will run for 16 years, with the option to extend it by a further three. According to TfL's contracts register, the deal is valued at just under £430 million if it runs for the full 19-year term,"

Transport for London awarded Otis a 16-year contract, with a three-year extension option, to service and modernise 172 escalators across the London Underground. Once active, Otis will maintain more than 300 of TfL's roughly 570 escalators, becoming the single largest escalator contractor on the network. The contract begins in April 2026 and requires Otis to supply spare parts, carry out repairs, refurbish, or completely replace escalators that have reached the end of their service life. The agreement is valued at just under £430 million over a full 19-year term and includes mechanisms to adjust pricing for inflation. Otis installed the Underground's first escalator at Earl's Court in 1911, and an anecdote about a one-legged demonstrator may be apocryphal.

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