ON MAY 24 the Chippenham plant of Westinghouse Brakes (UK) Ltd was visited by a delegation from the Chinese city of Guangzhou, led by Mayor Lin Shusen and including Guangzhou Metro General Manager Lu Guanglin. Under a contract worth £12m, Westinghouse and its local partner Guangzhou Otis Elevator Co Ltd are supplying 1020 sets of platform screen doors (each comprising two door leaves) for the 16 stations on Guangzhou Metro Line 2, equivalent to 4·5 km of door screens.
Guangzhou Otis is responsible for the structural and architectural design of the full-height screens, and will manufacture these components which it will install and maintain. The Westinghouse share of the contract is worth around £5m, and includes testing of the Guangzhou design and the supply of door control and actuation systems. With testing to include 1million opening and closing cycles over six months to simulate 30 years of service life, Project Manager John Hunt expects approval of the final design in December this year.
The first phase of the installation programme is due to start in May 2002 for completion in October next year, with the second phase running from May to August 2003. The formal opening of Line 2 is expected in October 2003 (RG 04.01 p211).
Westinghouse platform screen door systems are also being supplied for Singapore’s North East Line and the branch to Changi Airport, as well as the automated København metro.
