The time it takes to get a vertical system back in service may not always be short. And it also depends on a series of cross-referenced, accurate and thorough checks related to our priority: the safety of the service.
On this page, we explain how we repair faults and organise maintenance for over 780 systems including lifts, stairlifts, escalators and moving walkways in 119 stations of the underground.

Why does a lift, stairlift or escalator stop?

• there is a malfunction or a breakdown
• the system is damaged by a vandalism act
• the system is used improperly
• someone presses the emergency button
• scheduled maintenance is underway
• cleaning is taking place near the system
• bad weather conditions force some closures of pavements or corridors leading to the system

One thing is certain: a vertical service is never abandoned

Despite the common impression that a stopped vertical system is abandoned, it is never the case. All lifts, stairlifts and escalators in the network are constantly monitored. And those out of service are included in a computer system for planning inspections, repairs and maintenance.

What happens when a system has a problem?

1. Our staff immediately puts the system out of service and notifies the maintenance department.
2. A rapid response team carries out an initial inspection.
3. Often, during the inspection, the problem is resolved. In these cases, the system returns to service immediately after safety checks.
4. In other cases, the problem is not resolved. Within 48 hours, technicians from the repair department intervene to determine the cause of the problem.
5. Once the repair times are established, we display a sign with the indicative date of reopening of the service.
What do repair times depend on?
We do our best to reopen services as quickly as possible. Vertical systems are technologically very complex and delicate systems. Like cars, they are made of thousands of components. When something breaks down, the system must be dismantled, sometimes completely, and reassembled. Not always are spare parts immediately available, or available on the market. To this, we add the delivery times of suppliers. Before returning to service, finally, a vertical system must be tested and pass all safety checks again, sometimes even those carried out by government agencies.

Regular maintenance ensures the operation of systems

Maintenance teams are made up of highly specialised technicians not only in repairing faults but also in regular maintenance: a series of checks and verifications, also required by law, are scheduled at monthly, semi-annual and annual intervals. Each intervention lasts about two hours. At the end, the systems return to service.