RIDE OFF
Alton Towers is forced to close rollercoaster as stunned thrillseekers spot smoke rising from ride
A 'foreign object' has initially been blamed for the problem
ALTON Towers has been forced to close a rollercoaster after smoke was seen coming up from the ride.
Footage posted on X, formerly Twitter, show smoke rising into the air from the Wicker Man ride at the popular amusement park near Stoke-on-Trent.
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A spokesperson for Alton Towers Resort said: “Operations on Wicker Man were paused after reports of smoke in the ride area.
"Our technical team swiftly attended to the smoke and followed well-rehearsed procedures to quickly resolve the issue.
“Wicker Man is constructed with treated wood which inhibits fire ignition.
"At this stage we believe the cause of the smoke was the result of a foreign object.
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“The safety of our guests is our top priority and the ride will be closed until further notice while we carry out essential maintenance.”
The Wicker Man opened at Alton Towers in the spring of 2018 at a cost of £16million.
It was he first wooden roller coaster built in 21 years.
It’s made from 7.5 thousand tons of wood and goes at up to 46 miles per hour.
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A Channel 4 documentary which went behind the scenes at the theme park revealed that each carriage on the ride costs as much as a brand new Bentley – that’s £450,000 each, and there are three of them.
Earlier this month, it was announced by the park that a popular ride would reopen, following "extended maintenance" that has seen it shut for almost a year.
Alton Towers: The Ultimate UK Theme Park Adventure
In an update, the park's divisional director Bianca Sammut revealed how "new technology and effects" had been added to the ride, which she promised would be open again soon.
Hex, the park's "walk-through dark ride," has been closed since summer 2023 for maintenance work, but had initially been expected to reopen earlier this year.
However, Bianca admits the maintenance work that has been carried out was "more than we had initially scoped".
She said more had to be done to ensure that the attraction can reliably operate once it's finally reopened.
Additionally, the park has also introduced what it's described as "exciting changes, which we know you will absolutely love" to the ride, which Bianca confirmed is set to reopen again after the summer.
She said: "Earlier this year we said that we had planned to open Hex later this season and that's still absolutely the case.
"It's probably, realistically, looking like autumn."
Also providing updates on the ride was Simon Horsley, Alton Towers' head of technical design.
He explained that Hex now has a completely refurbished lighting system, with an extra 200 lights, which allows them "to be much more dramatic and much more theatrical" with the ride.
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Meanwhile, this new VIP experience is available for visitors to Alton Towers - and only costs £10.
And this is what it's like to ride Nemesis Reborn after it reopened at the park earlier this year.
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