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Accident at Alton Towers

silenthillXD

silenthillXD

Hyper Poster
According to multiple sources on Facebook, there's just been a pretty major accident on The Smiler. Apparently one of the trains stalled on the batwing element and an oncoming train crashed straight into it. There's not been any updates on how people are so hopefully there's no serious injuries. But it's pretty concerning this could happen, surely that would imply the block breaks weren't working.
 
The Smiler Has 2 Trains Crash Into Each Other

So today, people I know are at Alton Towers and messaged me about The Smiler and how 2 trains have crashed into each other. The leading story was that it had broken down and they'd started testing it shortly afterwards. As they started tested it the train in question that was testing rolled back on a section of track and they didn't realise and sent a train full of guests around the whole track to then crash into the train that was stopped. Air Ambulances are at the scene at the moment and it looks like The Smiler could be close for some time.
 
Oh god, that's really not good. How could this have even happened though? I mean surely the block breaks would have stopped the train from leaving the inside section, and surely even had they failed the ride op would have done an emergency stop on the lift hill.
 
There's already a topic for it could mods merge it together mainly merge this one as mine was first.
 
Re: The Smiler Has 2 Trains Crash Into Each Other

It's bad I genuinely think that it's going to take months for this to open or even if towers to open it will people go on it.
 
^ I think this one was first actually.
So was this caused by a ride op error, like despatching a second train too early or something?
 
Why are they still sending around trains empty though? I thought they had serious problems with that when the ride was testing.
 
Merged the two topics. This one was first, so I merged the posts from the old one into here.

- - - -
This is really bad. Only way it can have happened is if two trains ended up in the same block, which means that something has gone pretty badly wrong with the controls system. Ride-op error wouldn't cause this as the controls system would override it and either not allow the train to be dispatched or hold one of the trains on the block brakes (or trigger an automatic E-stop of the ride, halting all trains at the next block).

Hopefully we get to hear the full story, but I'm doubtful we will somehow...
 
The block brakes should have never let the train up, I'm surprised the staff never noticed that the train had stalled!
 
Something must have gone seriously wrong with the block system for this to happen. Hopefully those involved will be okay.
 
Yeah, but there are failsafes in place to make sure that, even if the staff didn't notice (God knows how) that a car hadn't returned, that the ride is e-stopped before two trains enter the same section of track. Sounds like an electrical fault to me. Sensors/brakes.
 
EDIT: Now that I've actually comprehended the information, sending a test train is pointless if no one's going to anticipate it's return. tf
 
Im talking with a friend about this, but he read about how a train was stopped on the lift before continuing right before this accident.
 
This isnt confirmed from a news site though, so please dont take it as fact. Its from TPR of all places:

Following on from the above; two trains on The Smiler have collided at the bottom of the batwing element. The situation is still ongoing with ambulances and an air ambulance on site, and with X Sector and the surrounding area shut down.

It seems an empty train was first sent out which stalled, before a full train of passengers was dispatched, getting stuck at the top of the first lift hill before somehow being allowed to continue through the circuit.
Click to expand...

This really isnt good
 
Absolutely shocking this, reports that 4 people are seriously injured and I hope that's just erring on the side of caution.

Few mongs tweeting out complaints about how X Sector is shut whilst others are claiming bloods and limbs were flying everywhere.

Can't remember the layout off the top of my head but is the batwing where it usually stalls the first part of the ride or the second? If it's the latter then the staff are surely far more responsible than if it's happened in the second after the empty train had cleared the first set of blocks.
 
From the pictures I have seen I think it's the part it stalls on in the first part. No disrespect for the staff, but if they're sending round a test train surely they should be monitoring it like a hawk.
 
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