Two-way escalators

[koster]

Are there escalators that go in both directions, i.e. start when they sense you approach them, then stop after you have used them, then start in the opposite direction when someone approaches from the opposite end?

[gingejbee]

...and what about people already on them - go up and down all day, i suppose?

[The-HouseHusband]

Kids would love messing people about, letting them get close to the top or bottom and then changing the direction!! Great waste of time.....

[elgreco]

I went to a concert at one of the Olympic venues in Barcelona. We walked for about 2 miles thro a park going up escalators. All of them were going upwards. After the concert, they were all going downwards. Very efficient way to move lots of people

[ChuckFickens]

LOL...

this is a two way escalator...

http://thumbs.dreamst.../1297679134ZhRS2f.jpg

[Maydup]

The escalators at the O2 change direction before and after an event too, but i can't think of anywhere quiet enough to have escalators which respond to the demand. The third floor of our local old fashioned department store maybe where two ladies go up and two ladies come down about once a day! Even they would probably get in a muddle with it though!

[VHG]

2shortplanks is wrong.

There are some in the Millenium Point building in Birmingham, and many other buildings I am sure, that work exactly like koster describes.

The work "both" ways and are normally NOT moving. They sense when somebody walks up to them and "start" going in the right directon.

You can see a picture of them here (on the left). You can see there is one escalator between each floor and the same escalator works both ways.

http://www.millennium...=620&folder=pageimage

[dustypuss]

I came across a escalators at a airport in spain that started when some body approache it and stoped when thay got off it .

[heathfield]

There are escalators in the UK that run at low speed when no-one's on them, thus saving power, and speed up when someone steps onto them. If they stopped when no-one was on them, this being the UK, folk would simply think they weren't working, and look for the lift!

[chakka35]

At various railway stations in Germany I found that the escalators ran by default down to the trains in the morning but up to the street in the evening. BUT at a slack moment the direction could be changed by an approach from either end.

Similarly, at stations where there are stairs up to the platform a conveyor belt at the side takes one's luggage up or down . Up or down depends one which passenger steps on the top or or bottom step first! Works brilliantly.

[ecollen]

I still have to see a reply to the first three responses. What happens, like in most shopping centres, when there are people going up and down at the same time? Sounds like dumb planning to me.