Finding a “Metro-Proof” Lock System
The Amsterdam Metro is a mixed rapid transit and light rail system in Amsterdam and its surrounding municipalities Amstelveen, Diemen, and Ouder-Amstel in the Netherlands. The network is owned by the city of Amsterdam and operated by the Gemeentelijk Vervoerbedrijf (GVB), the company that also operates trams, ferries, and local buses. The lock system of the Amsterdam underground is quite extensive and includes 2,574 cylinders.
In the Amsterdam underground, a cylinder has a lot to endure; it must be resistant to burglary attempts, vandalism, manipulation, corrosion, and rough handling. And even if it is strong enough to withstand all of these, the life of a lock can be severely shortened if a vital key gets lost. Frank de Vries, Security Manager of the Amsterdam underground stations, said “We used to have a mechanical lock system, but we were constantly facing problems with it due to keys getting lost. Since replacing all cylinders would be a rather costly affair, we only replaced those that the lost key could open. However, we eventually ended up with huge key rings.”