Escalators to be demolished at Hongkou stadium
Two escalators will be demolished at Hongkou Football Stadium to leave some Metro commuters having to climb up 61 steps to reach the station.
The two escalators installed in 2009 have become too old to continue operating, an official with the Changyuan Group that operates the stadium said on Tuesday. They will be demolished after approval from the government, he added.
The escalators were installed beside a 61-step stairway at the stadium on Jiangwan Road E. for the FIFA Women World Cup 2009, which was held at the stadium.
However, the operator suspended the operations after the end of the tournament due to the monthly 10,000 yuan (US$1,500) maintenance cost. The operating company couldn't cover the cost without government subsidies, the official surnamed Chen said.
The Metro operator rented one of the escalators in 2011 because many commuters entered the station of Metro Line 3 through the stairs, but ended the lease due to safety concerns, because the escalators were designed only for commercial operations.
They had been suspended since 2012 and the company opened them about once a month for maintenance and also when large sports events were held at the stadium. They are now closed.
“It is too inconvenient for people to climb up and down every day to enter the Metro station without the escalators,” a resident living nearby surnamed Tan said.