KONE Awarded Project at New York City Subway Station

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Oct 12, 2011, 10:00 ET

LISLE, Ill., Oct. 12, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- KONE has been awarded an order by Skanska USA Civil Northeast Inc. to supply nine heavy-duty transit escalators and two custom-inclined elevators as part of the Number 7 Line Extension with the New York City Transit Authority. The new subway station at 34th Street and Eleventh Avenue is part of the master plan to extend mass transit into the Far West Side of Manhattan, by linking the subway with Grand Central Station, the Port Authority Bus Terminal and the rest of Manhattan.

KONE's solutions include two heavy-duty transit escalators with more than 81 feet of vertical rise, which will contribute to simpler and smoother passenger transport in the subway system.

"We are pleased to have been chosen by Skanska USA Civil Northeast Inc. on this important project that will spur visitors and development to the Far West Side of Manhattan," said Vance Tang, EVP and Area Director of KONE Americas. "Through our long standing relationship with Skanska we have been able to provide the New York City Subway with over 100 reliable and energy-efficient escalators."

The escalators, which include energy-efficient features such as standby speed operation, a 96 percent efficient planetary gear and a KONE EcoDrive™ which only requires an oil change after 30,000 operating hours (twice as long as conventional drive systems), will help the terminal in significantly reducing its carbon footprint.

The new station at 34th Street and Eleventh Avenue is expected to open for service in December 2013.

About KONE

KONE is one of the global leaders in the elevator and escalator industry. The company has been committed to understanding the needs of its customers for the past century, providing industry-leading elevators, escalators and automatic building doors as well as innovative solutions for modernization and maintenance. The company's objective is to offer the best people flow experience by developing and delivering solutions that enable people to move smoothly, safely, comfortably and without waiting in buildings in an increasingly urbanizing environment. In 2010, KONE had annual net sales of EUR 5 billion and approximately 33,800 employees. KONE class B shares are listed on the NASDAQ OMX Helsinki Ltd in Finland.

www.us.kone.com

SOURCE KONE