What's new

Everland | T-Express partial retracking | 2024

Y. Kim

Mega Poster
I've come back to this forum after a long time.
This year, T-Express in Everland has been announced to be closed for 5 months this winter.
This is the announcement of Everland official.

1699532838037.png

Translation:
Everland Facility Closure Announcement
Dear guests
T-Express will newly born.
It will come back in April 2024

T Express
Ride Closure: November 20th 2023 ~ Planned to open April 2024

We apologize for having inconvenience, and we will try our best to provide the best service.
Thank you.
SOURCE: https://www.everland.com/everland/announcement/CNT-171450AD-4169-41B2-9E48-45BB37FA7281/01


Normally, the ride closes on winter maintenance for only 1.5 months. Early January to mid-February.
But, this year, the ride will be closed for much longer.


This video, from "Titanam", one of Everland's official YouTube, mentioned the reason.
Video Translation

T Express closes in Nov, 20th?
I was working harder than anyone today,
when I saw Everland homepage, there is a notice of T-Express closure.
Until next April?
I was suspicious and headed to Everland.
Q. Is T-Express really not operating?
A. Yes.
To check if it's real, I met a pro (manager) who works for T-Express safety.
Why does T Express close for so long time?
There are total 2 sections on T-Express

We are preparing to newly improve the rail on the first section for guest to ride smoother and more fun.
The ride is in extended closure to be more fun.

Dear T Express, thank you for giving fun as Everland's top attraction. Thanks to you, we got lots of subscribers.
I hope you have some rest and return with change next year.



The term "newly improve the rail", can mean retracking. If it is true, it will retrack only the first half of the ride (El Toro part)
There's a rumor Samsung (Who owns Everland) will contract Intamin, or it will contract another manufacturer to make it hybrid. Still, which manufacturer will do the retracking work is NOT open to the public. No press release has been released yet.

This year, T Express had many issues.
The smoothness of the ride became really rougher on some of the parts.
It's told that some of the track has cracks on it, and it impacted rider safety.

As an annual passholder on Everland, I had chance to ride it more than 30 times.
But it was rougher than 5 years ago, and some of the part have even jackhammering.
For my experience, after the first airtime hill, entering the S-curve, it was really rough, and I felt jackhammering.
While entering the S curve after the first airtime, I felt the track and train bang, and it impacted my body.
Also, my friend had his bone impacted at the part.


This video talks about many of the problems T-Express has.
Translation
How will Everland T-Express be renewed?
The most popular ride in Everland, T-Express will be in extended closure from Nov, 20th to next April.
You can find in Everland homepage that T-Express will newly born and return in April 2024.

It is much longer than normal year's winter maintenance closure, and it will not be operating for 5 months, which means renewal.
* T-Express has normally in winter maintenance in January to February, about 2 mo.

In the safety inspection that took place in 2023, there was a rumor that T-Express is in a bad condition, due to the crack in some of the track, and it impacted the ride vehicle. (and there are more issues.)

As such, T-Express in 2023 has the worst smoothness since opening with strong vibration and jackhammering, criticized by many parkgoers and passholders.

Also, the ride cannot run 3 trains, and now running 2 trains max with the way the trains impacts the track at least.
(Max 2 trains, after the first train ends coasting the track, than the next train can dispatch. No flush system (riders entering and exiting simultaneously))

Then how will it be renewed?
T Express is the only wooden coaster in Korea for 16 years since the opening in March 2008.
As T-Express is almost in the end of its lifespan, the supplement work with steel track, or replacing the old cracked track with a new one, "retracking" work can be progressed.

If this work is done, it can be no longer woodie, and can become the first and only hybrid coaster in Korea.
If it is converted to the hybrid, I hope it will provide much smoother ride experience, and high thrill.
I hope the ride turns much cooler!




This year, maybe due to the safety inspection, the ride cannot run 3 trains whole year.
It ran max 2, and the train was always stacked behind the station, which means huge capacity drop.

(3 train: 1080+ PPH, 2 train on normal days: about 720PPH, 2 train on busy days: about 800PPH,
now with 2 trains with train always stacking: 600 PPH or less)

So, the wait time skyrocketed to 3 or 4 hours.

I've translated and sent information to ElToroRyan, and he analyzed about it with a video.


As Everland will get visitors drop when T-Express closes for maintenance, it seems like it was delayed a lot.
Now, the closure announcement came out just 2 weeks before closure, and I am not ready to accept it.

I hope the ride gets its track retracked, and even get a new shiny Intamin trains, with individual seat control system.

As a passholder of the park, I will post many photos when the progress started
If there is a press release, I will share here ASAP.


Any discussion welcome.
 
Last edited:
- Colossos lasts 15 years before it needs major retracking
- Balder lasts 18
- El Toro derails after 15 years
- T-Express also lasts 15 years before needing major retracking

Feel like this was inevitable given the clear pattern emerging with these prefabs. At least the park is taking care of it before something serious happens ala the two incidents on El Toro.
 
...The term "newly improve the rail", can mean retracking. If it is true, it will retrack only the first half of the ride (El Toro part)
There's a rumor Samsung (Who owns Everland) will contract Intamin, or it will contract another manufacturer to make it hybrid. Still, which manufacturer will do the retracking work is NOT open to the public. No press release has been released yet...


Any discussion welcome.
Where's the conversation about who will do the refurb of the El Toro section and whether that part will be a hyper or not? I would like to see RMC's 208 ReTraK, so hyper IMO.
 
I'm glad they are taking good care of this wonderful woodie. If only they were still building those prefabs! IMO they are the best wooden coasters.
The fact that they all broke down and needed to be closed for a season for extensive retracking after only 15 years, partially explains why they stopped building them. I wonder how early these issues made themselves apparent. The P'n'P woodies had a strong streak for a while, and then suddenly nobody was buying them anymore (and this was years before RMC came along to give them competition). I don't know if that was because somebody noticed something, or just a random fluke exacerbated by the great financial crisis at the time, and by the time the market recovered, RMC was there to take over the niche of large woodies.

However, I do remember we had concerns for T-Express after Colossos, El Toro and Balder all had to close for major refurbishments. I don't think that helped the sales prospects for this type of coaster going forward, and with T-Express out of action too, I think the ride type is as dead as can be.
 
If I remember correctly, the price tag for an Intamin Plug n' Play was quite high. Probably why they didn't sell that many. And after 15 years or so, the retrack is probably very expensive. As much as I love a true wooden coaster, I don't see a bright future for them, especially with RMC around offering such good products. I mean installing RMC's steel track on T-Express probably makes more sense, at least for maintenaince reasons.
 
Where's the conversation about who will do the refurb of the El Toro section and whether that part will be a hyper or not? I would like to see RMC's 208 ReTraK, so hyper IMO.
As heard from industry acquaintance, it was not decided yet. According to him, some of the core employees are thinking of converting to hybrid (probably RMC 208 ReTraK) , and some of them are thinking of getting a new Intamin track. I also heard that there can be a design change.
Still, Everland has announced that the Balder section will be remain unchanged.

Still, no press release about the manufacturer are open to the public, so I'll keep an eye on it, and give some construction updates.
 
Last edited:
Found an article about it
The news company has contacted Everland.

The article says (Summary):

In Nov, 14th, T-Express was E-Stopped due to power failure in all Gyeoongi-do region.
The ride was stopped safely on the lifthill, and no one was injured.

The news company has found many people were injured while riding.
They covered that many people got a slipped disk on their neck and waist, fracture, or external injury.

Samsung has admitted that many people were injured after riding, but they cannot say how many were injured.
Also, they supported the cost for treatment (cure) if the rider asked.

According to Everland official, "Like as many wooden coasters have more vibration after 15 years, the woodies must be maintained and renovated. So, while preparing the renovation, there was a case of an accident, so we decided to close the ride earlier. Until next year, we will renovate and maintain the ride firmly with attraction company in the overseas.



Looks like the work will begin soon, but which manufacturer will do the work is still not open to the public.


I'll get the update soon. Thanks.
 
If I remember correctly, the price tag for an Intamin Plug n' Play was quite high. Probably why they didn't sell that many. And after 15 years or so, the retrack is probably very expensive. As much as I love a true wooden coaster, I don't see a bright future for them, especially with RMC around offering such good products. I mean installing RMC's steel track on T-Express probably makes more sense, at least for maintenaince reasons.
Like I said before wheter we like it or not, I think we will see alot more RMC'S. And many parks could start brand new with an all steel (wooden coaster-like) roller coaster like Arie Force One at Fun Spot America in Atlanta.
 
New finding: Work is also being done in Balder Section.
After the 1st airtime after MCBR, I found a track piece in the 1st Balder turnaround being cut.

Also I found workers at the bottom section after the 1st drop. They were cutting and conveying wood pieces. 20231223_141319.jpg20231223_141325.jpg20231223_131240.jpg20231223_115018.jpg
 
Really looks like 208 retrack imo. Maybe El toro's roughness after the retrack might have affected the decision to go with RMC?
 
Really looks like 208 retrack imo. Maybe El toro's roughness after the retrack might have affected the decision to go with RMC?
Not likely. It’s my understanding that great adventure builds their replacement rails in house. As for why they are using RMC track, my best guess is that it costs about as much as prefab rails but steel would require less maintenance.
 
Not likely. It’s my understanding that great adventure builds their replacement rails in house.
As confirmed by the park, they mentioned they would work with coaster manufacturer overseas. So less probability for in-house.
 
Top