You’ve surely noticed those moving sidewalks at busy airports and train stations – those are travelators at work. In essence, a travelator is a way for people to cover long gaps between points A and B without expending too much energy on foot. It’s a conveyor belt designed with walkers and wheelie bags in mind.
Travelers achieve their steady stride using an endless chain of sturdy yet smooth metal plates or belts. These are locked together into an infinite loop set up on a frame, with motors providing just the right push to propel passengers forward at a comfortable walking pace. The whole arrangement rolls along gracefully to transport folks horizontally or at a slope.
Whether you’re gliding across hundreds of feet horizontally or inclining up levels, travelators let tired travelers conserve some calories without skimping on speed. All in all, they provide a convenient way to migrate large herds of humans or their carry-ons over considerable ground more easily than hoofing it the whole way.
The slats or belts continuously roll forward in one direction at around 0.5 meters per second, which equates to about 2 kilometers per hour. This steady but gradual pace allows users to walk naturally or stand still on the travelator without losing balance.
Travelers incorporate safety features to prevent injuries. Sensors along the edge detect any obstructions and trigger an automatic stop or reversal of belt direction. Emergency stop buttons are also placed periodically along travelators to manually halt the belt in case of emergencies. Guide rails on either side keep users centered and steady on the moving surface.
Types of Travelators
There are generally two main types of travelators based on their orientation and purpose:
Horizontal Travelators
As the name suggests, horizontal travelators are designed to transport passengers across long horizontal distances both indoors and outdoors. You’ll commonly find horizontal travelators spanning several hundred feet in large airports, train stations, shopping malls, and other transportation hubs where passengers need to cover long flat areas.
Inclined Travelators
Inclined travelators help people smoothly transition between different elevation levels, either going up or down. They are frequently used inside buildings and infrastructure to replace staircases and provide accessibility. Many subway and train stations utilize inclined travelators between street-level platforms. Airports also employ inclined travelators to help passengers seamlessly transfer between terminal levels.
How Do Travelators Function?
Travelators use a continuous loop of interlocked steel or aluminum slats or rollers that rotate on wheels powered by electric motors. The slats gently propel pedestrians in the desired direction of travel at walking speeds, usually around 0.5 meters per second.
Various safety features like proximity sensors, pressure-sensitive edges, and emergency stop buttons are integrated to prevent injuries from falls or entrapment. The motor and transmission system is usually housed in a protective enclosure below the walkway surface. Lubricated roller systems facilitate the smooth movement of the walkway belt.
| Component | Purpose |
| Electric motor | Provides power to drive the travelator belt |
| Drive roller | Transfers power from the motor to the belt |
| Guiding rollers | Support and guide the horizontal movement of the belt |
| Belt slats | From the stair-stepped walking surface |
Common Uses for Travelators
Beyond transportation centers, here are some of the main applications of travelators:
- In airports, you’ll find extensive systems of horizontal and inclined travelators spanning terminals, concourses, gate areas, baggage claims, and between parking structures and check-in facilities.
- Large train stations and metro systems benefit from both horizontal and inclined travelators to transport high volumes of passengers across platforms and between street-level entrances and exits.
- Shopping malls install horizontal travelators as walkways between anchor stores and parking areas to encourage the exploration of all shops.
- Zoos, aquariums, and other large visitor attractions utilize travelators for accessibility between exhibits over long distances without fatigue.
- Cruise ship terminals benefit from inclined travelators for smooth boarding and disembarking across multiple passenger decks.
Maintenance of Travelators
To ensure safe, reliable function, travelators require routine maintenance similar to other powered systems:
- Regular inspections check for issues like belt fraying, roller or joint problems, motor or sensor faults.
- Periodic belt replacement occurs every 3-5 years depending on usage levels and prevents accidental trips or falls from deterioration over time.
- Cleaning crews disinfect travelator surfaces weekly minimum to control bacteria and prevent slips from debris buildup.
- Repairs address problems immediately to minimize downtime, like replacing broken rollers, tightening loose joints, or repairing minor tears or rips in the belt material.
- Full overhauls every 10-15 years refurbish all travelator components for another decade of use.
By promptly addressing issues, facilities operators keep passengers smoothly moving on travelators. Minor repairs that could escalate are caught during inspections.
Conclusion
Travelators (also called moving sidewalks or moving walkways) provide an effortless way to transport large volumes of people efficiently over long distances without extra walking. As horizontal or inclined conveyor belt systems, travelators allow riders to stand comfortably or walk naturally at a gradual pace.
Common applications include airports, train stations, metro systems, museums, and other areas where accessibility and crowd flow matter. With proper maintenance, travelators remain a convenient transit solution for decades.
