FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 15, 2025
MARTA VINE CITY ESCALATOR INVESTIGATIONS, INSPECTIONS COMPLETE;
UNIT REOPENED
Escalator Returned to Operation Following Overload
ATLANTA – The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) has
reopened the escalator at Vine City Station at the completion of investigations
and inspections after an overloading of the unit resulted in several injuries.
Just after midnight on July 15,
2025, following the final Beyoncé Cowboy Carter performance at Mercedes-Benz
Stadium, an escalator at Vine City Station became overloaded when a concertgoer
screamed upon seeing a bug, causing a crowd to rush onto the escalator. A state
inspection the following morning confirmed in a report that “due to the high
volume of passengers,” the escalator over-sped before coming to a stop.
At the time of the
investigation, motor belts were all present, but some had been dislodged from
their pulleys. Maintenance records and subsequent interviews confirmed that the
escalator had previously been inspected during regular monthly maintenance less
than a week before the incident and was found to be fully compliant and
performing as expected at that time, with all motor belts in place. The
investigation concluded that the sudden passenger load caused the escalator to
speed up, the belts to separate from their mechanisms and the emergency brakes
to engage.
Once the investigation was
concluded, MARTA and Schindler replaced all impacted equipment components,
conducted a comprehensive multi-point systems inspection, and undertook
rigorous safety checks. The state inspector has completed a final safety check
and cleared the escalator to return to service.
GWCC Station experiences the
highest ridership during events at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, but the Vine City
Station frequently sees overflow crowds due to proximity and access to the
stadium. On July 14 and in the early hours of July 15, MARTA had additional
staff at both rail stations, as it had the three previous nights of Beyoncé
concerts.
MARTA will do the following for
all large events to ensure escalator and customer safety, and crowd control:
- Crowd metering measures will be enhanced at high
ridership stations, including dedicated staff, barricades, and high
visibility signs reminding customers to board escalators one at a time.
-
Rail station support staff and police officers will
continue to be deployed to high ridership locations.
- MARTA Load and Go teams will continue to be positioned
on rail station platforms to assist with train loading and unloading and
to prevent platform overcrowding.
-
MARTA’s Office of Vertical Transportation (elevators
and escalators) and Schindler employees will continue to staff rail
stations and MARTA’s Emergency Operations Center to respond when needed.
-
MARTA Police will continue to contract with Emergency
Medical Services support staff and deploy them to key rail stations to
provide immediate medical attention when needed.
“MARTA, Schindler, and the
state routinely inspect all escalators, and perform maintenance, repairs, and
cleanings on a regular schedule,” said MARTA Chief Safety & Quality
Assurance Officer Ralph McKinney. “These units are safe to use, and we ask customers
to follow staff and sign instructions and board them single file.”
MARTA is nearing the end of a
multi-year systemwide Elevator and Escalator Rehabilitation Program that
includes the refurbishment or replacement of every escalator in the system, a
total of 150 units at 38 rail stations.
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