• 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.

Ride Availability/Operations 2022-25

The statement does say that “phased attraction closures begin… starting from 60 miles”. To me that reads as rides start closing when there is a particular type of weather working 60 miles.

I’m not sure anyone’s arguing that they should run Nemesis in a lightning storm, but more that it at least appears that they are being overly cautious. When the indoor rides then break down at the same time, it’s clearly not a good look.
 
Tom said:
She hasn't though, has she?

Suddenly, in 2023, half or more of the park's rides close in typically British weather? Based on events seemingly 60 miles away and many many hours in advance based on projection.
Click to expand...
Not based on events sixty miles away Tom!

If there are storms coming, the technology is now available, free and easy to access for all...that wasn't the case in the past.

The company must act on perceived risks to the park...not "Oh there are storms sixty miles away, time to shut down everything"...but..."There are storms heading towards us from the south, coming in at ten miles an hour, we will need to shut the park in an hour or so if those storms continue to approach, anything less would not be safe."

Lightning is not set in its approach, lightning strike areas can jump thirty to fifty miles in literally seconds, you can't slow natural forces down, prediction is not an exact science.

Suddenly, in 2023, people started noticing closures more, and make a big deal about in on bloody social media.

This time last week, massive storms were forecast to shoot up the centre and east of the whole country.

Did the Towers close at all...not that I am aware.

The actual storms that day ended up staying off the east coast...all the forecasts (I do three as a gardener) got it wrong.
It happens. Often.

But you can't blame Merlin!

Final, climate change point here.

Overall, lightning strike averages remain pretty constant, but warming seas make our own maritime climate at greater risk of bigger, more powerful storms.
The three peak strike months over time...all in the last few years.

So the insurance companies can't stand still, and must adapt to greater risks of a strike, to protect their precious profits.
So change your procedures, or increase your cover cost.
 
Last edited:
Tom said:
2023, she says it herself.
Click to expand...

She does not say eveything suddenly changed. It says that thier weather policy was “formally introduced” that year. In other words, they brought in a more robust policy which suited better for changing times. Not that the rides ran in lightning storms directly overhead before 2023…

You’re really clutching at straws now.
 
If they are monitoring storms within a 60 mile radius, wouldn't they see that it's not actually progressing towards the park?

From what I could find, Disney and Universal in Florida close attractions when lightning is within 10 miles.

If Alton Towers are monitoring six times that distance they could at least watch the storm's progression and see if it's moving towards the park before deciding to act.
 
Let’s not forget that the park had already caused one very serious accident by ignoring weather rules. If someone got zapped, the first question from the HSE would be ‘slow learners, eh?’.

Weather forecasting isn’t an exact science, and thunderstorms are particularly tricky. It’s not for some random park employee to stick their head out a window and go with their gut.
 
And again, the scariest coaster experience of my life...bar none.
Stopped briefly on the top of the Shockwave lift hill, watching the big black clouds roll in from the stunning second city of Brum, with lots of lightning flashes following the front line.
That was roughly twenty miles away, and it felt too close, in my humble opinion.
 
For all the negativity around Towers, I must give credit where credit is due. Operations in Forbidden Valley are smashing it this morning!

Nemesis is hardly stacking, and Galactica is slowing down on the lift hill, with 3 trains and 2 stations! Both rides are getting ~1,200pph!
 
Matt N said:
For all the negativity around Towers, I must give credit where credit is due. Operations in Forbidden Valley are smashing it this morning!

Nemesis is hardly stacking, and Galactica is slowing down on the lift hill, with 3 trains and 2 stations! Both rides are getting ~1,200pph!
Click to expand...
And people say Towers operations are bad when they are not.
 
Though not quite as fast as they once were, Operations on Galactica are generally amongst the best on any B&M flying coaster ever built. Several only have one station whilst most of those with two seem to very rarely run 3 trains. I've seen Tatsu on 2 trains / 2 stations but never running 3. Acrobat at Nagashima is configured to run 2 trains/2 trains and Flying Dinosaur at USJ is set up to run 3 but due to the bag storage you have to return to the station you left from, which results in the bizarre situation of trains waiting on the brakes despite one side of the station being empty. I was at Universal Orlando recently and waited an hour for Manta which was running 2 trains / 1 station with ~5 minute dispatch times, a throughput of less than 400/hr
 
Matt N said:
For all the negativity around Towers, I must give credit where credit is due. Operations in Forbidden Valley are smashing it this morning!

Nemesis is hardly stacking, and Galactica is slowing down on the lift hill, with 3 trains and 2 stations! Both rides are getting ~1,200pph!
Click to expand...

Sadly, what you’ve just described used to be a bang average day at Towers.
 
The mistake people make Alton Towers is a park you need to plan in your mind and do it if you don't you won't maximise your day.

It's not ideal and I don't agree with it but it is what it is
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top