UK: Alton Towers Announces “The Smiler” Reopening in 2016

As the British amusement park Alton Towers announced this week, it will reopen its rollercoaster “The Smiler” next year, which has been closed since June 2 this year in consequence of an accident. Several passengers were seriously injured when a fully occupied The Smiler wagon crashed into an empty one.

Now the amusement park has completed its investigation into the incident and concluded that the accident was not caused by a technical defect of the Gerstlauer infinity coaster, which was opened in 2013 (cf. EAP, issue 4/2013), but by human error. “There were found to be no technical or mechanical problems with the ride itself,” the park explains in its official statement. According to Alton Towers, a “manual override of the ride safety control system without the appropriate protocols being followed” led to the incident. Furthermore, “the investigation also identified areas where protocols and the training of employees should be improved”.

The park explains that, following the accident, it implemented a number of improved safety measures across all of its multi-car rollercoasters. The Smiler will include technical improvements and enhanced training. In the future, Alton Towers wants to ensure that no manual override process may be completed without a senior member of staff authorizing and being present. (eap)