Nemesis Reborn Alton Towers: Thrill-seekers queue for hours as hugely anticipated 'iconic' rollercoaster re-opens

On Saturday (17 March) Alton Towers Resort unveiled the eagerly-awaited transformation of Britain's most-cherished rollercoaster, Nemesis Reborn. The past 18 months have seen a comprehensive makeover of the coaster, which opened in 1994.

Fans journeyed from across the country to be among the first to experience the heart-pounding attraction which hits top speeds of 50mph and G Forces of 3.5. Now known as Nemesis Reborn, the entire 250-tonne, 716-metre-long track has been replaced. 

New state-of-the-art audio visual technology brings the creature that gives the ride its name vividly to life, plunging visitors into a uniquely immersive experience from the outset. Eden Smith, 18, was first in the queue on Saturday morning in a home-made costume. After experiencing the first ride, she said: “It was so cool. I really loved going through the mist. The theming is so amazing.”   

The iconic corkscrews, nerve-shredding drops and four full inversions of the original Nemesis captured the imagination of thrillseekers globally from the moment it opened. It was crowned Europe’s first inverted rollercoaster and during its original incarnation it travelled over 800,000 miles, carrying more than 52 million people.

Bianca Sammut, divisional director at Alton Towers Resort, said: “Today marks the culmination of an extraordinary project - to transform Britain’s most-loved rollercoaster for a new generation. The original Nemesis rollercoaster has been cherished for three decades, making this project a real labour of love for everyone involved in it.

“Today we’ve seen an extraordinary buzz across the park as we finally unveiled Nemesis Reborn to guests. Judging by their reaction we’re confident we’ve created a worthy successor that will captivate thrill-seekers for generations to come.”