PURPOSE: To make unnecessary the care of making the guide rails of corner portions inconspicuous from the point of view of design by switching from first to second state the guide rails located at corner portions in front of and on one side of the entrance of an escalator.

CONSTITUTION: Of guide rails 5..., guide rails 5b... located at corner portions in front of and on one side of the entrances 6, 6 of escalators 1A, 1B and some other guide rails 5c... hard to be made inconspicuous are capable of being switched from the first state (imaginary line X) of being stored in a ceiling 7 to the second state (actual line Y) of being hung down onto the floor 8. In case of a fire, the guide rails 5b..., 5c... can be switched from the first state X to the second state Y according to detecting action of a smoke detector before fire shutters 4... are pulled down. The care of making the guide rails inconspicuous from the point of view of design is therefore unnecessary.