Zodra de roltrap weer werkt, gaan we naar boven.

Zodra means as soon as.

It introduces a subordinate clause, so it works like English as soon as in sentences such as:

• Zodra hij thuiskomt, eten we. = As soon as he gets home, we eat.
• Zodra het stopt met regenen, gaan we weg. = As soon as it stops raining, we leave.

In your sentence:

• Zodra de roltrap weer werkt = As soon as the escalator works again

So zodra is a time-linking word that tells you when the main action will happen.

Because zodra creates a subordinate clause. In Dutch subordinate clauses, the conjugated verb usually goes to the end.

So:

• de roltrap werkt weer = the escalator works again
  
  • this is a main clause word order
• zodra de roltrap weer werkt = as soon as the escalator works again
  
  • this is subordinate clause word order

This is a very common Dutch pattern:

• Als ik tijd heb, kom ik.
• Omdat hij ziek is, blijft hij thuis.
• Wanneer zij belt, vertrekken we.

So the verb-final position after words like zodra, als, omdat, wanneer, terwijl is something you will see a lot.

Here weer means again.

So:

• de roltrap werkt = the escalator works
• de roltrap werkt weer = the escalator works again

In context, it suggests the escalator was not working before, but now it will return to normal.

Be careful: weer can also sometimes mean weather when used as a noun:

• het weer = the weather

But in your sentence, weer is definitely the adverb again.

Because the sentence starts with another element: the subordinate clause Zodra de roltrap weer werkt.

In Dutch main clauses, the finite verb normally comes in second position. This is often called the V2 rule.

So the structure is:

• Zodra de roltrap weer werkt, gaan we naar boven.

The first position is taken by the whole time clause:

• Zodra de roltrap weer werkt

That means the verb of the main clause must come next:

• gaan

And then the subject follows:

• we

Compare:

• We gaan naar boven.
• Morgen gaan we naar boven.
• Zodra de roltrap weer werkt, gaan we naar boven.

So gaan we is not a question here. It is normal Dutch word order after something else comes first.

Yes, gaan we can also be the start of a question:

• Gaan we naar boven? = Are we going upstairs?

The difference is the structure and punctuation.

In your sentence:

• Zodra de roltrap weer werkt, gaan we naar boven.

this is not a question, because:

1. there is a subordinate clause first
2. the verb comes second in the main clause, as expected
3. the sentence ends with a period, not a question mark

So the same word order can appear in both statements and questions, but the full sentence structure tells you which one it is.

Dutch often uses the present tense to talk about the future, especially when the future is clear from context.

So:

• Zodra de roltrap weer werkt, gaan we naar boven.

literally uses present-tense verbs:

• werkt = works
• gaan = go

But the meaning is future:

• As soon as the escalator is working again, we’ll go upstairs.

This is very normal in Dutch. You do not always need zullen.

Compare:

• Morgen ga ik naar Amsterdam. = Tomorrow I’m going to Amsterdam.
• Als hij komt, beginnen we. = If he comes, we’ll start.

So learners should get used to Dutch present tense often covering future meaning.

Naar boven means upstairs, up, or to the upper floor/level, depending on context.

• naar = to, toward
• boven = above, up, upstairs

Together, naar boven gaan means to go up or to go upstairs.

Examples:

• Ik ga naar boven. = I’m going upstairs.
• We lopen naar boven. = We walk upstairs.
• De lift gaat naar boven. = The elevator goes up.

In your sentence, because it is about an escalator, naar boven naturally means going to the upper level.

Yes, roltrap is a de-word:

• de roltrap = the escalator

Like many Dutch nouns, its gender/article has to be learned with the noun.

Useful forms:

• de roltrap
• een roltrap
• de roltrappen = the escalators

There is no obvious rule from the meaning alone that tells you it must be de, so it is best to memorize nouns together with their article.

Yes, those are possible, but they are not always exactly the same in tone.

• zodra = as soon as
• wanneer = when
• als = if/when

In this sentence, zodra is the most precise because it emphasizes immediately after that moment.

Compare:

• Zodra de roltrap weer werkt, gaan we naar boven.
  = We’ll go up as soon as it starts working again.

• Wanneer de roltrap weer werkt, gaan we naar boven.
  = When the escalator works again, we’ll go upstairs.
  This is possible, but slightly less immediate.

• Als de roltrap weer werkt, gaan we naar boven.
  = If/when the escalator works again, we’ll go upstairs.
  This can sound a bit more conditional.

So zodra is the best choice if the idea is the moment it starts working again.

Yes. You can reverse the order:

• We gaan naar boven zodra de roltrap weer werkt.

This means the same thing.

The difference is mainly emphasis:

• Zodra de roltrap weer werkt, gaan we naar boven.
  This puts the time condition first and highlights it.

• We gaan naar boven zodra de roltrap weer werkt.
  This starts with the main action.

Notice the word order difference:

• If the subordinate clause comes first, the main clause becomes gaan we
• If the main clause comes first, you keep normal main-clause order: we gaan

Yes, werkt here can correspond to English works or is working, depending on context.

Dutch uses the simple present much more broadly than English does. In many cases, Dutch does not need a special progressive form.

So:

• de roltrap werkt weer
  can mean:
• the escalator works again
• the escalator is working again

The form aan het + infinitive exists in Dutch, but it is used differently and would sound unnatural here:

• de roltrap is weer aan het werken

This is grammatically possible in some situations, but for a machine returning to operation, werkt weer is much more natural.

So Dutch usually prefers the simple verb here.