Alton Towers to reopen Smiler in three weeks
Alton Towers is to reopen the Smiler rollercoaster in less than three weeks following last year’s crash which left 16 people injured, five of them seriously.
Last week, it was confirmed that the Health and Safety Executive is prosecuting the theme park’s owner over the accident.
Merlin Entertainments said the ride would reopen on March 19, in time for the Easter holidays.
Its own internal investigation revealed there was no mechanical or technical fault with the ride and blamed the accident on human error.
It said a member of staff had overridden safety protocols to restart the ride, causing a carriage packed with people to slam into a carriage that was stuck on the track.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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