Granville Station Escalator Runaway Incident
Incident Investigation
Gearbox Failure Causes Escalator Runaway and Rider Pile Up
September 29, 2023
Elevating Devices
Reference Number:
II-1612461-2023 (#39700)
Location: Vancouver, BC
Regulated industry sector: Elevating Devices
Incident Overview
A downward-traveling escalator carrying riders experienced a mechanical failure that rendered all of the safety and braking systems ineffective. Following the failure, the weight of onboarding passengers caused the escalator to overspeed several times, including after the emergency stop button was pressed. Riders were unable to disembark safely as they fell and piled up at the bottom of the escalator.