The Longest Escalator In America
If you are afraid of heights to the point where you cannot even read about them, you might want to look away now. Especially if you are scared of very high escalators. Maryland's Wheaton Metro station boasts the longest escalator in the entire Western Hemisphere. And, while it is obviously an engineering marvel, it is also kind of terrifying.
Comparing The Wheaton Metro Station Escalator To Others
The Wheaton Metro station escalator has no flat landings or middle pillar. It rises and descends along a length of 230 feet (70.1 meters), earning it the record of longest continuous single-span escalator. To put that into perspective, the escalator is about half as long as the Great Pyramid of Giza is tall. And its vertical rise is 115 feet (35.1 meters).
The escalator is part of the regional agency WMATA (Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority)'s Red Line. The Red Line also features the Bethesda Station escalator, with a length of 212 feet (64.6 meters), and the Woodley Park Station escalator, which features a length of 204 feet (62.2 meters).
Building A Record-Breaking American Escalator
Transit planners designed the Red Line extension in the late 1970s and early 1980s. During that process, engineers found that soft rock and busy streets do not go well together. So, instead of disrupting the local businesses on Georgia Avenue, construction crews used deep tunnel-digging methods. The engineers decided to dig a diagonal shaft from the surface hall to the tracks.
Westinghouse built the machinery that would hold the original escalators. They installed the frame inside the underground tunnel. The entire system still consists of internal gears, drive chains, and emergency brakes that keep the step plates moving across the slope. The escalator system officially opened on September 22, 1990.
A Mind-Boggling Escalator Replacement Project
As intricate as the escalator construction project was, the replacement project in 2011 might have it beat. The top five longest escalators in the country all belong to Metro, and the company's first replacement contract saw 145 new escalators installed over 8 years, starting in 2011. Thanks to that extended project, the average age of Metro escalators decreased from 27 years to 11 years.
A second project was started in 2021 and is expected to be completed in 2028. At the end of the new project, 139 escalators will have been replaced across 34 Metro stations. They will also feature UV-C disinfection and LED lighting.
Beating A Fear Of Heights
Sometimes, the need to get from point A to B must be considered above the fear of heights. This is most probably the case for many of the thousands of passengers that take the Wheaton escalator to get to and from Wheaton Metro Station far underground.
Remember that little bit of comparison earlier about the pyramid? A rise of 115 feet: That is how far people travel up and down. Either way, the height comes into play, and the sheer scale is incredible. It takes nearly three minutes to complete the ride, and when the power goes out, or the escalator is out of service, climbing the stairs can seem impossible. Those planning to ride the escalator for the first time should take care to stand on the right if standing still, and walk on the left to get off faster. There is a handrail for safety and to help those afraid of heights. Riders are not permitted to sit down on the steps or lean on or over the sides of the escalator.
Other Escalators Standing Tall
In addition to the Bethesda escalator and Woodley Park escalator, The Peachtree Center MARTA Station that also deserve a mention. The escalator in Atlanta, holds the longest subway escalator in the American South. It sits below Peachtree Street and measures 190 feet (57.9 meters) diagonally and has a vertical depth of 95 feet (29.0 meters). It opened in 1982, this escalator relies on pedestrian access and some people have reported experiencing vertigo because of its depths.
The Deepest Station Does Not Automatically Equal The Longest Escalator
It is worth mentioning that despite its escalator, the Wheaton station is not the deepest metro station. While it holds the longest escalator, the title of deepest station in the D.C. Metro system goes to the Forest Glen Station in Montgomery County. Forest Glen sits one stop south of Wheaton, and it is 196 feet (59.7 meters) beneath the ground. Wheaton only comes up to 145 feet (44.2 meters). Forest Glen does not have an escalator. The station relies on elevators that transport passengers up and down in around 20 seconds.
What Goes On Beneath Our Feet
It is so easy to forget the hard work that goes into building a system that safely carries passengers to and from a train station. But when you really think about it, there is an entire engineering framework beneath our feet. Some of the country's longest escalators turn a morning commute into a whole experience. They keep humming and turning away, ensuring people get where they need to go, and giving them a three-minute breather in between.
