The Most Dangerous Escalator in Rome

Veritasium

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Video Summary

In 2018, a catastrophic escalator failure occurred during a football match in Rome, injuring 24 people. The escalator, packed with fans, accelerated uncontrollably due to a cascade of safety system failures. Investigations revealed deliberate sabotage of safety mechanisms and falsified maintenance records, pointing to a pattern of neglect and fraud by maintenance contractors and transit authorities.

The incident highlights a critical distinction between technological failures and human error. While escalators are designed with immense safety margins, capable of withstanding forces far beyond normal use—even supporting 1.5 tons per step—their reliability hinges entirely on proper maintenance. The Rome incident was not an engineering flaw but a profound failure of human responsibility and a duty of care.

This event underscores the importance of rigorous maintenance and accountability in public transportation systems. The history of escalators, from their amusement park origins to their modern, sophisticated design incorporating features like regenerative braking, is a testament to innovation. However, as the Rome disaster tragically demonstrated, even the most advanced technology is vulnerable when human negligence and deliberate falsification compromise its integrity.

Short Highlights

A 2018 escalator accident in Rome injured 24 people due to multiple safety system failures and alleged deliberate sabotage.
Modern escalators are engineered with substantial safety margins, capable of handling forces up to 1.5 tons per step.
Investigative findings pointed to intentional disabling of safety features and falsification of maintenance records, not manufacturing defects.
The history of escalators showcases innovation, from early amusement park rides to modern systems with regenerative braking.
Ultimately, escalator safety relies on rigorous maintenance and a human duty of care, as demonstrated by the Rome incident and the inventors' motivations.

Key Details

The Rome Escalator Disaster [00:00]

On October 23rd, 2018, a packed escalator in Rome, filled with football fans, experienced a catastrophic failure.
The crowd swelled to nearly double the initial capacity within 30 seconds.
The escalator began to move faster as the motor's load increased, eventually reaching its limit.
The first line of defense, a safety relay, tripped, cutting power to the motor, but the main brake failed to stop the descent.
The auxiliary brake, designed to bypass the motor and lock the drive shaft directly, also failed, with a vanishingly small chance of all three systems failing simultaneously.
By 7:05 p.m., the third safety system failed, causing the stairs to plummet, resulting in 24 injuries as fans were flung forward and piled up.
Investigators suspected foul play, leading to the closure of the station and both technical and criminal investigations.

The ride people experienced on that escalator was one of the most terrifying rides of their lives.

Early Escalator Innovations [02:40]

The first escalator was an attraction in a theme park in 1896, described as a slow conveyor belt with no steps, a 25° incline, and a height of 7 ft.
Invented by Jesse Reno, it was named the "continuous elevator" and was a proof of concept for future transportation.
Reno observed that riders stood still, gripping the handrail, due to the precariousness of walking on the incline.
A similar device installed at a department store in England required staff to calm patrons with brandy and smelling salts due to its unsettling nature.
The 25° incline was difficult to walk on, pushing the limit of ankle flexion.
The concept of moving stairs was proposed to provide a flat surface and a climbing option.

The Revolving Stairs and Modern Escalator Design [04:28]

An earlier attempt, the "revolving stairs," used a chain with stair-shaped blocks, creating a flat surface but with treacherous issues at the top and bottom landings.
Extending the landing did not solve the problem, resulting in a jagged mess.
Modern escalators solve the problem of disappearing steps at the top by having steps rotate.
George Wheeler's design forms the basis of current escalators, featuring an electric motor (around 50 kW for subway escalators) connected to a reduction gearbox and gear system to increase torque.
A reinforced steel chain pulls the stairs, fitted with wheels to navigate curves.
Wheeler's key innovation was attaching each step to the chain via a single axle, allowing it to rotate, and adding a second set of wheels that followed a different track.
This dual-track system controls the step's angle, keeping it level during the ride and allowing it to flip upside down on the return journey.

The solution to this problem came from another inventor named George Wheeler. His idea forms the basis of every escalator in use today.

Commercialization and Early Safety Challenges [07:32]

George Wheeler's design initially received little attention until Charles Seabberger bought his patent.
Seabberger partnered with the Otis Elevator Company and showcased a prototype at the Paris Exposition Universal in 1900.
The escalator was a popular attraction, though it caused incidents like separating families and sending people sprawling.
Early commercial escalators had smooth, flat stairs that disappeared under a wooden board at the top, creating a dangerous gap.
Items like shoelaces and coats, especially long skirts, could easily get caught. A three-year-old girl's foot was pinched in one such gap.
To address this, a triangular shunt was installed, forcing riders to exit to the left, but this was awkward.
To reduce congestion, operators instituted the convention of standing on the right and using the left lane for faster walkers.
Modern escalators feature grooved steps that interlock with a comb plate at the top, lifting small items out of harm's way and allowing safe forward stepping.
Skirt brushes were added in 1982 to address gaps on the sides of the escalator.

The escalator caused many an incident worthy of the vaudeville, separating families, sending old men sprawling, delighting the children, and reducing their nana to despair.

The Handrail and Regenerative Braking [10:30]

Jesse Reno introduced a moving handrail in 1896, anticipating the need for something to hold onto.
In modern escalators, a separate motor connection drives the handrail via a friction wheel.
Over time, wear on the friction wheel causes the handrail to move slightly slower than the steps.
New handrails are calibrated to move about 2% faster than the steps to compensate for this gradual slowing.
Modern escalators use AC induction motors for speed regulation, which have an unexpected benefit on downward escalators.
When heavily loaded, the weight of passengers can drive the motor, causing it to spin faster.
The motor's design creates a breaking force that resists excessive speed increases, a phenomenon called regenerative braking, similar to electric vehicles.
On busy days, downward escalators can generate electricity, which can be fed back into the building's grid, even powering upward escalators.

So, the answer is you were both wrong. Oh my god. Yeah. Wow. I never really thought about that.

The Rome Investigation and Human Failure [14:06]

Despite immense safety margins and regenerative braking, a point exists where excessive weight can overwhelm the motor, leading to uncontrolled acceleration.
The Rome investigation revealed that the cascade of failures was not a manufacturing defect but a pattern of neglect and falsification.
The main brake's stopping force was only 37% of the manufacturer's specification, and the auxiliary brake had been partially disabled by plastic straps tied around one of its wedges, reducing its effectiveness by 50%.
Crucially, safety sensors and error logs had been intentionally disabled, preventing any record of critical malfunctions.
Maintenance records were incomplete, with no evidence of major work performed.
The investigation traced the maintenance responsibilities to a new contractor, Metro Roma, working in conjunction with the transit authority, ATAC, revealing widespread negligent maintenance and falsified records across the network.
Eleven suspects were named, including managers from ATAC and the chief of Metro Roma.
Prosecutors discovered deliberate sabotage of safety devices to avoid escalator shutdowns and cover-ups through fraud.
A wiretap revealed an ATAC manager's callous disregard for potential passenger safety, focusing only on numbers and percentages, highlighting a human failure rather than an engineering one.

With half the system unable to engage, its stopping power was cut by 50%, just enough for the weight of all those passengers to overpower the brake and render the last line of defense useless.

The Essence of Escalator Safety and Responsibility [18:47]

When properly maintained, escalators have enormous safety margins; a single step can support 1.5 tons, and catastrophic failures are vanishingly small.
With around 1.5 million escalators worldwide, safety is paramount, and over 100 billion escalator trips occur annually in the US and Canada alone.
While technology is advanced, its reliability depends on human maintenance.
The core lesson is about human responsibility and a duty of care to others, exemplified by Jesse Reno's innovation driven by a personal need.
The video promotes Brilliant, a learning app focused on interactive problem-solving in math, science, and technology, encouraging intuition and understanding.

As humans, we have a duty of care, not just to ourselves, but to everyone around us. And sometimes that means taking responsibility for keeping each other safe.