Real World Theme Parks Alton Towers Latest News on Smiler Coaster

[Coasterbuff]

Today on the 6 pm BBC News, it was reported that the owners of the Smiler Ride are to face prosecution under the Health & Safety aspect, for the accident that happened last June (2015) It was stated that new regulations relating to the operation and safety of Roller Coaster Rides were being discussed. What this will mean has not been mentioned, but I wouldn't mind betting that it may relate to the number of trains on the track, so that just one train in operation at any one time.

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/alton-towers-smiler-roller-coaster-112221194.html

 

[Nemesis1]

Bloody hell, good bye throughput. Seems after accidents they put in unneeded safety restrictions that ruin the event, e.g historical aircraft can only fly past after shoreham. (although this is being challenged soon)

 

[Coasterbuff]

Bloody hell, good bye throughput. Seems after accidents they put in unneeded safety restrictions that ruin the event, e.g historical aircraft can only fly past after shoreham. (although this is being challenged soon)

It might not come to only one train being allowed on the track, because the safety measures for controlling multiple trains is pretty rigorous. It was partly caused due to human error reading going off what it said in the news report. But whatever the outcome it is not good news for Alton Towers.

 

[Nemmie]

It's already been testing with multiple trains so I doubt single train operation will happen. Maybe it will for a short while until the general public get their heads around the fact it's open again. They're also trying to be sensitive to Leah and the rest of the victims so will be treading very carefully.
Also, we now know that human error was responsible. We don't know the details but we do know the block system was overridden by ride operators after the full train was sat on the lift for 15 minutes because of the stalled train in front of it. This caused the train with riders to crash into the empty one.
Since then, extensive staff training has taken place as well as a raft of additional safety procedures and hardware have been put in place. Just around the Staffordshire Knot where the crash happened, there are a bunch of new sensors. So I'm sure they're taking no chances.
Until this awful incident, Alton Towers have had an impeccable safety record so I'm sure they'll want to build their reputation again.

 

[Coasterbuff]

Accidents happen all the time that's a fact of life, but considering roller coasters, they are very rare. The safety features for every ride are of paramount importance and I am sure that lessons have been learnt since that tragic day last year. The only problem is reassuring the public that it won't ever happen again. I have ridden the Smiler a few times, but once something like this happens, it does make you think, am I taking a risk by riding it again. Well, I don't think so as far as I am concerned, but it will put many people off, there is no doubt about that. But time heals and these sort of incident soon get forgotten. By the middle of this summer, everyone will be back enjoying themselves again. I'm sure.

 

[Kerrash]

Such a shame about the incident [sad]
I rode this one before it was closed and it was fantastic, although at the time there were many delays due to safety systems.

 

[Nemmie]

No disrespect to the victims, but I'd be more than happy to jump straight back on it when it re-opens. I'd even push Nick Varney out of the way to get on first.
I have always felt completely safe at Alton Towers and I still do.
Rides re open after fatal accidents all over the world and as awful as the aftermath is for the victims, the general public soon forget. You always get the outcry and handwringing but people are fickle, something else becomes news and and the tragedy is old news.
Remember a couple of years ago when that poor woman was thrown out and fell to her death from the New Texas Giant while her kid was sat next to her? Even though it was a refurbished, it was classed as a new coaster with new technology. After an investigation, the ride was reopened within 3 months. That's far worse than what happened on the Smiler. And yet people ride it and it's a popular ride.

 

[Coasterbuff]

Well lets just hope that Alton Towers goes forward to develop more brilliant rides. It has cost them dear and we are talking millions, so it must have knocked their ride budget down a few pegs and I was hoping that we might see a new Wooden Coaster in the park during the next couple of years, something that John Wardle had set his heart on. Wooden coasters are my favourite and most of them have now gone, now, that were still going thirty years ago. Cleevleys near Blackpool lost the Dragon coaster in the early seventies. Southport's wooden coaster was demolished about ten years ago.

One of my old time favourites, was the old Bobs at Belle Vue in Manchester, which was demolished when the whole park closed in 1972. That coaster had been running since 1929 when it was first built and although it wasn't very big, it had some fantastic banked downward and upward curves, running on a figure eight construction, with the station being on a curve.

I rode Megaphobia at Oakwood last summer and also all the coasters at Blackpool during the last Illuminations. So now you all know what coaster I am eagerly waiting for in Planet Coaster, so I can build a replica of Bobs and Blackpool's Grand National.

 

[David T-Rex]

Such a shame about the incident [sad]
I rode this one before it was closed and it was fantastic, although at the time there were many delays due to safety systems.

The public dont care about the safety systems all they see is the ride closed down due to "techincal issues" AGAIN! and the long queues, its only when something like this happens that people start to get an understanding of the safety systems and why they are there. That is no excuse for overriding any critical safety system just to make the queues shorter (not saying this is what happened in this situation - I dont know the full story)

 

[Nemmie]

Agreed. All people care about is that it's safe to ride.
Who know what was going on in the ride op's heads that day. I'm sure they're pretty traumatized by it too.

And Coasterbuff, you may be in luck. Alton's application the the Staffordshire Moorland Council is hinting that a woody may be on the cards for Forbidden Valley. It mentions wooden truss construction . The feeling is that we won't get a cross-valley like John Wardley designed but it may make use of the drop off into the valley near the Skyride station.
As with all Secret Weapon projects, little is known but I wouldn't be surprised if SW8 is a wooden hybrid. It'll be a U.K. first and with Alton's track record for innovation It'll probably be another world's first to add to the list. It was slated to open next year, but because of the Smiler incident, and the knock on affect it's had, it'll probably get delayed. I think they should aim for next year to get the crowds back and get the Towers back on track.

 

[Coasterbuff]

Agreed. All people care about is that it's safe to ride.
Who know what was going on in the ride op's heads that day. I'm sure they're pretty traumatized by it too.

And Coasterbuff, you may be in luck. Alton's application the the Staffordshire Moorland Council is hinting that a woody may be on the cards for Forbidden Valley. It mentions wooden truss construction . The feeling is that we won't get a cross-valley like John Wardley designed but it may make use of the drop off into the valley near the Skyride station.
As with all Secret Weapon projects, little is known but I wouldn't be surprised if SW8 is a wooden hybrid. It'll be a U.K. first and with Alton's track record for innovation It'll probably be another world's first to add to the list. It was slated to open next year, but because of the Smiler incident, and the knock on affect it's had, it'll probably get delayed. I think they should aim for next year to get the crowds back and get the Towers back on track.

Yes I knew their were plans for a woody at Alton and had my own feelings that SW8 would be it. If it's a hybrid type, it might have a loop in it or maybe a couple. We will just have to wait and see. Although John has officially retired now, I do believe he is acting as a consultant, because, a woody at Alton was his dream.

 

[BernyMoon]

Someone should pay for what happened. Poor people.

 

[Sawyer1]

Alton Towers Resort will open The Smiler on 19th March. (opening day of the season)

I can't really reply to anything on this thread because of my involvement with the park but I enjoy reading the ideas and predictions!

 

[Nemmie]

Just saw that over at Towers Times. It's brilliant news. Hopefully things are looking up for the park now. I'll be shooting over there very soon, I'm sure.
My old Mini Cooper went so often that it literally got there by itself. This'll be the first time in my new Mini John Cooper Works so I'm nearly as excited about that. I really need to get out more

And Saywer, If you're a font of reliable knowledge of any future shenanigans on the Flume site, or the goings on in Forbidden Valley, you need to a spill, whatever Merlin say about non disclosure. It'd be rude not to lol.

 

[Sawyer1]

And Saywer, If you're a font of reliable knowledge of any future shenanigans on the Flume site, or the goings on in Forbidden Valley, you need to a spill, whatever Merlin say about non disclosure. It'd be rude not to lol.

It's not worth my job mate! [haha]

 

[Linio]

Yep. We can't say anything sorry!!! [rolleyes]

 

[Sawyer1]

Yep. We can't say anything sorry!!! [rolleyes]

What do you do there buddie?

 

[Nemmie]

Spoilsport!!!!!!!!!!! [cry]

 

[nikeladuk]

I can tell you the rollercoaster AIR will have its trains upgraded with a 3D headset you wear to give you an added visual experience like flying through space [cool] [mouth shut]

 

[Nemesis1]

Reopening! I'll probably be there for the first time this season at the end of March. I've missed it... but not waiting hours in the queue with the music