Alton Towers partially re-opens
Alton Towers will re-open at 10am on Monday (June 8), but one section will remain closed.
The park has been closed since two carriages collided on the Smiler rollercoaster ride last Wednesday, seriously injuring four teenagers.
X-Sector, the high-octane section of the park where the Smiler is based, will remain closed until further notice.
Another ride, Spinball, will stay closed until ‘enhanced safety protocols’ have been put into place.
Saw, a similar ride at Thorpe Park, and the Dragon’s Fury and Rattlesnake rollercoasters at Chessington World of Adventures, will also stay closed.
Merlin Entertainments, which owns all three parks, has reportedly already lost around £3m since last week’s incident.
In a statement on Friday, chief executive Nick Varney said: "This has been a terrible experience for everyone involved and one we sincerely regret. Our thoughts remain with those who were seriously injured and we are doing everything we can to support them through this difficult time. It is an accident that should not have happened, and we are determined that it will never happen again.
"Whilst the investigation into the causes is continuing, we have identified a series of additional safety protocols that we are implementing immediately across our multi-car rollercoasters. These will act as an additional safeguard to further strengthen our operating and safety standards. This has been a devastating experience, and we are committed to learning the lessons from it."
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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