• ℹ️ Heads up...

    This is a popular topic that is fast moving Guest - before posting, please ensure that you check out the first post in the topic for a quick reminder of guidelines, and importantly a summary of the known facts and information so far. Thanks.

Monorail Refurbishment

I fail to see why the monorail is seen as at the end of its life? Its a very simple, electric powered design and if maintained well, the rolling stock should last far longer than a measly 33 years. The Diesel powered High Speed Train was built in the early 1970's and although they are being semi retired and on their second generation of engines, most are still in full operational service, doing sometimes thousands of miles a day up and down the country.

It's likely there just isn't the will to spend any money on it. I doubt we'll ever get some new grand entrance either. The plan was probably to to put some crappy second hand land trains in the car park. I couldn't think of anything more tacky.
 
Matt.GC said:
I fail to see why the monorail is seen as at the end of its life? Its a very simple, electric powered design and if maintained well, the rolling stock should last far longer than a measly 33 years.
Click to expand...

In theory they should do, but under the control of Merlin purse strings, nothing seems to last :rolleyes:
 
@Matt.GC I am not sure we can compare one of British Rail's finest achievements with a second hand monorail in the Staffordshire Moorlands!

(No Ultimate jokes, please)

RoyJess said:
In theory they should do, but under the control of Merlin purse strings, nothing seems to last :rolleyes:
Click to expand...
It would be bucking the monorail trend if it did last much longer...
 
Last edited:
Yeah I suppose it's possible that out of all the rides in Alton Towers the monorail might be one of the most difficult to maintain by this point, from age, constant use and everything.. If it comes to it, there's always the option of new trains and a proper refurbishment, which should keep it going many years into the future, but that probablt already been ruled out
 
I don’t think the monorail is structurally at the end of its life but it needs considerable investment to keep it to standard and it is natural for a company to consider whether it’s worth that investment or do something different.

Like move the car parks to the meadows
 
John_P said:
Maybe they should see if they can get some of those pacer trains northern rail are finally starting to retire.
Click to expand...
Stick a track down running around the b
Back of the hotels down to the old track bed all the way to a big bit of land outside stoke and make it a park and ride.

Sent from my SM-J600FN using Tapatalk
 
The best solution here - and it’s not a popular one - is to make two entrances. Move the car parks nearer towers street and have a secondary entrance near AIR. It would make sense to build and ents complex there and as well

Never gonna happen though
 
Why can’t they just have the main entrance that you go in and out of during the day then at ride close open all the gates around the Left side of the park so guests can go walk to there cars from Katanga Canyon,
Gloomy wood or Forbidden Valley like they did it during the fireworks event so can’t understand why they can’t open them all the time.
 
Themeparksandy1981 said:
Why can’t they just have the main entrance that you go in and out of during the day then at ride close open all the gates around the Right side of the park so guests can go walk to there cars from Katanga Canyon,
Gloomy wood or Forbidden Valley like they did it during the fireworks event so can’t understand why they can’t open them all the time.
Click to expand...

The gate by Galactica which leads onto the car parks is opened at ride close every day.
 
Katanga Canyon and Gloomy wood exits go though service areas. They are for storage and working in than being a pathway for the public.
Work to make it safer for public to walk though has to happen before the firework.



Sent from my SM-J600FN using Tapatalk
 
AT86 said:
The gate by Galactica which leads onto the car parks is opened at ride close every day.
Click to expand...

Yes they do but..

skyscraper said:
That's mainly for resort guest access to the RCR though.
Click to expand...

...there is also a set of gates just before RCR separating the paths from Nemesis to Galactica. I have walked to Galactica exit before now to find out that we can't exit or access RCR due to these gates being shut.
 
Technically you can exit via the Galactica any time (there is a door built into the gate that can be opened from inside but needs a code to re enter the park)
 
spinba11 said:
Technically you can exit via the Galactica any time (there is a door built into the gate that can be opened from inside but needs a code to re enter the park)
Click to expand...
Not really intended for guest use apart from the occasional ejection or urgent situation.

Sent from my Swift 2 Plus using Tapatalk
 
Investment needs to be made to keep the current monorail in service. Whether that means a refurbishment or new rolling stock. It would be a massive waste of built in infrastructure not to do so.

Towers Street is a purpose built entrance to the park and should ALWAYS remain the main way of entry. Sorting the monorail out is essential to the park experience. I hope the new private equity owners are smart enough to see that.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top