Nemesis Reborn Construction

September 2022 – Closure Announcement

On 21st September 2022, Alton Towers announced on their social media channels and website that Nemesis would close “By Order of the Phalanx” at the end of the main theme park season on 6th November 2022. Alongside the announcement, a series of posters appeared all throughout the theme park, including outside the ride itself. Although not noted in these announcements, the accompanying press release confirmed that Nemesis would return in 2024, following the refurbishment works.

October 2022 – Phalanx Uniforms

Upon Scarefest 2022 getting underway at the Resort on Friday 7th October, all ride staff began wearing a new red Phalanx uniform, to reflect Phalanx taking control of Nemesis ahead of its revamp.

6th November 2022 – Final Day

The last day of the 2022 season brought with it the final time that Nemesis would operate in its original form. To mark this milestone in the ride’s history, we asked fellow enthusiasts ‘what Nemesis means to you?’ as part of a video published on the Attraction Source YouTube channel. We also organised a group photo at 4pm for everyone who wished to join which achieved an incredible turnout!

6th November 2022 – Phalanx Investigation

Following the evening’s Fireworks spectacular, the Phalanx made an announcement that an investigation was underway into Nemesis’ abnormal behaviour. This saw Forbidden Valley overrun with Phalanx operatives and hazmats who had begun to conduct experiments with biohazardous material. Those who rode Nemesis in its final few hours were given ‘test specimen’ wristbands and interviewed by the Phalanx about their ride experience afterwards. In the preceding weeks, a ballot had been held to win a place on the very last ride. Therefore, the night ended with these 30 lucky ‘final test specimens’ riding alongside John Wardley, the ride’s creator, and John Burton, the Creative Lead for the refurbishment project.

13th November 2022

On the weekend after the end of the season, the theme park opened for the RunThrough Alton Towers event. It could be seen that fencing had gone up around Nemesis, denoting it as a construction site. Although the trains remained on-site, housed in the maintenance building, work appeared to have begun on stripping them down, with the wheel covers and other fibreglass components discarded into a pile outside of the maintenance building.

25th November 2022

With the start of the Christmas season, deconstruction of Nemesis’ layout quickly began, with various sections of track initially stored in the car parks before being transported elsewhere. Visible from outside of the theme park were two large cranes working on the ride, with work focused on what appeared to be the removal of the latter portion of the layout.

23rd December 2022

Google Street View was updated outside of Clermont Steel Fabricators in Ohio, showing what appeared to be pieces of Nemesis’ new track, awaiting painting. All Bolliger & Mabillard track and supports are manufactured at this location before being shipped to the final destination.

31st December 2022

Further photos of the new Nemesis track at Clermont Steel Fabricators, including some sections that had been painted in the new black colour scheme.

7th January 2023

The track and supports removed from the resort were sent straight to a local scrapyard for recycling.

22nd January 2023

Although most track and supports had been removed from the Resort and taken to a local scrapyard, with the vertical loop being the last section of the layout to be dismantled, some of the supports for this track remained in the car parks. Some of the sections were cut up to enable their removal from the ride area.

20th February 2023

The reopening of Rollercoaster Restaurant provided a limited view of the deconstruction of Nemesis, with the entire layout other than the brake run, station and lift hill now fully removed. In the site compound, the last remaining track sections were awaiting removal off site, and the footer pins and rebar cages were visible that are used to create the new foundations for the ride.

5th March 2023

The Kids Pass event provided a first opportunity to view the status of the works taking place to Nemesis from within the theme park. It was certainly strange to neither see nor hear Nemesis whilst in Forbidden Valley, with the area instead dominated by the presence of a large crane. Black hoarding had been installed around the ride perimeter, to which Phalanx related signage had started to be attached. Towards the end of the layout, work had already begun on rebuilding the foundations and footers. It also appeared that the brake run had been painted with a primer coat of paint. In an area of Nemesis Sub-Terra’s queue line, a temporary scaffold structure had been erected, appearing to be a viewing platform into the Nemesis construction site.

19th March 2023

The start of the 2023 season marked the first season without Nemesis in 30 years. Signage had been added to the black hoarding around the site to inform guests of Nemesis’ closure and the ongoing investigation by the Phalanx. Work on rebuilding the foundations and footers was continuing towards the end of the layout, with the new bolts to which the new supports would be attached in-situ. From Galactica’s lift hill, it was possible to see that a large hole had been excavated in this area, where the old pilings which anchor the footers to the ground had been removed. A member of the Phalanx could be found on duty outside the entrance to the apparent temporary viewing platform that overlooked the Nemesis site. This now appeared to be structurally complete, with a truss in place above the entrance, ready for signage to be installed. From outside of the theme park, it was possible to see Nemesis’ lift to nowhere through the trees. In the site compound, lots more fixings for the footers could be seen, ready to be installed on-site. Also of note were two sections of track rail, removed from the main body of track, and a few cut-up sections of support being stored in a skip.

2nd April 2023

A few weeks after the start of the season, some of the construction walls that had formed a second fence line around Nemesis were removed. This allowed guests to get closer to the construction area and provided some new ground-level views into the site, as well as access along the upper pathway through Forbidden Valley. The work that was underway on the foundations for the helix – one of the ride’s most forceful sections – could now be seen up close.

13th April 2023

Work continued on the foundations for the helix, as well as the first drop and corkscrew that proceeds this section of the layout, whilst the Nemesis creature watched on. Nearby, there were signs of work taking place on Nemesis Sub-Terra, including touch-ups to the paintwork on the building’s exterior, adding to the speculation that the ride would reopen.

25th April 2023 – Leaked Footage

Footage mysteriously ‘leaked’ via the Resort’s official social media channels revealing a new look for Nemesis’ track – black, with what appeared to be red veins snaking along its length. Despite the message that accompanied the footage suggesting that everything may not be as it seemed, with the posts including the hashtag #SeekTheTruth, the Phalanx reported that all was well as the convoy began its journey to the Resort.

27th April 2023 – Track Reveal

A full reveal of the new look track was provided by photos released by the Resort which showed a section of track for the final bend prior to the brake run being lifted into position the prior night, overseen by the Phalanx. A further drone photo also provided an aerial view of the supports and a total of three sections of track installed in the final part of the layout. With vertical construction commencing, the Phalanx also opened an Observation Platform overlooking the Nemesis site, encouraging those intrigued by the investigation to come and see for themselves, with the platform accessible by up to 30 guests at a time.

29th April 2023

This was our first update following the installation of the first sections of the new track and supports. Track had been installed between the last tunnel and brake run, with the latter seeing the meeting of the old and new track. At the newly opened Observation Platform, various Phalanx related signage had been added, including a large sign above the entrance and exit way. On the platform itself, there was a singular screen displaying a message from the Phalanx, with periodic audio announcements also playing out. The platform provided clear views of the Nemesis creature and the area where the majority of the layout is located, although it wasn’t possible to see the sections of track installed so far. Following the delivery earlier in the week, only one track section remained stored in the car park, along with the pieces for two supports.

11th May 2023

With a steady flow of track and supports starting to arrive at the Resort, we took an up close look at the sections being stored in the Galactica car park.

21st May 2023

With the installation of track and supports on-site having slowed down, this was only a small update of what was visible from the Observation Platform. Most notably, two supports for the left-hand stall turn had been erected, while a sign reading ‘Phalanx Aerial Support Unit’ had been added to the crane servicing the site. Elsewhere, #SeekTheTruth and the unknown symbol had been graffitied onto the nearby hoarding, while final preparations were underway at Nemesis Sub-Terra ahead of its opening on Saturday 27th May.

28th May 2023

Further sections of track and supports continued to arrive at the Resort. Based on current progress on-site, these appeared to be for the remainder of the final inversion and the preceding stall turn. The distinctive track for the zero-g roll over the station also looked to have been delivered, along with supports for the vertical loop.

On the site itself, the most recent progress had seen the latter part of the final inversion installed. This section of track could be seen being temporarily supported by a jack, awaiting the next section of the layout – this was being stored nearby, on the site itself. From the Observation Platform, other visible points of note included the supports for the stall turn in front of the station and progress on the footers in the area between the zero-g roll and vertical loop. A closer look in this area also revealed a face staring back at those on the platform…

From ground level, it was evident that while progress on some of the footers for the helix following the first corkscrew were at an advanced stage, there was still much work to be done on many of the others. Elsewhere, after being notably damaged, it could be seen that the rear left leg of the Nemesis creature had been removed from the station building, and had been placed on the ground within the site. The I-box support beam for the track running underneath the exit ramp of the station was also staged near to where it would shortly be installed. There was little change at the Galactica end of the site, with this part of the layout having been the first to be installed. However, spotted on the ground inside the compound was a support attachment plate, seemingly sawn-off from a section of the new track – it was not clear which section this was from or the reason the reason for its removal.

27th June 2023

Work on the Nemesis site was focused on installation of the new track and supports which would make up the coaster now that the footers and foundations had all been poured. Since our last update, the final corkscrew was completed, along with the sweeping turn beforehand which will follow the vertical loop. Elsewhere on the site, the stall turn had been erected, and it appeared next on the agenda would be the vertical loop which would then connect all of the currently installed track.

Where the sections of track were being connected, the ends of the rails in certain areas had been sanded down to ensure the train can smoothly pass over them. These areas would then be touched up at a later date. Scaffolding had been installed over the transfer track to work on the theming above, and a construction worker was observed knocking a hole into one of the alien’s legs, presumably in preparation for more substantial work to commence on the station structure itself. Over in the car park, newly delivered track was now being stored towards the top of the area instead of adjacent to Galactica’s final turnaround, now that the latter half of the ride’s layout was complete.

7th July 2023

In an industrial estate about 9 miles from Alton Towers Resort, the last remaining pieces of the old track and a couple of supports were being stored. Interestingly, one of the old track sections was painted in the new black colour scheme with three different red pattern designs painted on. This may have been used as a test section to visualise how the new colour scheme would look, before the final design was chosen. This location was also where some new ride hardware is being stored before its transportation to the resort.

20th July 2023

Today saw an important milestone completed – the installation of the vertical loop! The construction team started by installing the exit of the loop, followed by the entrance, and then the top section to complete the iconic inversion. It was interesting to note that some supports around the track layout were being updated to a larger and stronger design, including those for the vertical loop. To accommodate these, the inversion now consisted of three track sections instead of two, as seen on the original ride.

Three supports for the Zero-G roll were now also visible, including the centre one which now featured a rigid track connection instead of a ball and socket joint, with the expectation that this inversion would be installed next. Thank you to Sam from Coastertog for the photos.

21st July 2023

Another day, another inversion! Following completion of the vertical loop, the construction team quickly progressed to the installation of the Zero-G roll, with the exit track sections visible in these photos. Scaffolding had been erected all around the lift hill track in preparation for painting it. Following a jet wash, white primer was being applied to the spine, and grey primer to the running rails in advance of the black paint to match the new track.

As part of the ongoing promotion of the project, #SeekTheTruth t-shirts could be won in a grabber machine in the area’s arcade. Over in the car park, further track and supports continued to arrive, including those for the helix. These supports were notably larger than the previous equivalents, and would be partially sunken into the ground and then attached to the ground level anchor bolts where the paint changes from light grey to dark grey.

24th July 2023

Today saw the installation of the remaining sections of the Zero-G roll, with the Observation Platform providing a unique perspective of the curves of this inversion which crosses over the Nemesis creature. Thank you to Sam from Coastertog for the photos.

26th July 2023

The Nemesis station theming had started to receive a significant overhaul. Following a jet wash, damage to the structure had been filled before what appears to be acrypol or a similar waterproof coating was applied. The front left eye of the creature had been removed and was currently being stored on the nearby access road.

13th August 2023

Since our last update, the track sections completing the entrance to the Zero-G were installed, along with the full downwards helix. The first drop and corkscrew inversion were now the only sections awaiting installation. As shown in the initial plans, the helix supports and foundations were notably stronger in design, with one footer and support completely redesigned to ensure the ride could sustain the intense forces in this area for years to come.

The lift hill continued to be primed ready for the new colour scheme, and, at the base, the alien’s left eye and claw had also been removed, following the removal of the legs on this side. Visible under a black cover, a temporary wooden circular structure had been erected at the front of the station – with hindsight, this appears to have been testing for the scale and placement of the creature’s new eye.

Over at the station, parts of the rear, including the tail of the creature, had started to be painted in grey and the veins along it painted red – the first signs that the creature would be receiving a new colour scheme using a grey, black and red palette to better complement the new track.

16th August 2023

On National Rollercoaster Day 2023, the first sections of track for Nemesis’ iconic corkscrew (i.e. the exit from the inversion) were installed along with additional supports. Thank you to Sam from Coastertog for the photos.

17th August 2023

What an iconic moment in the Nemesis construction timeline! The first corkscrew inversion had now been installed in place, along with some further supports for the descent from the lift hill. Thanks to Adam Bysouth for the photos.

Thank you to Sam from Coastertog for the additional photos.

20th August 2023

Following the completion of the corkscrew, a few more supports for the first descent were installed, along with a couple of further track sections. The station building theming continued to be repaired, primed and painted, and some of the track running rails were being ground down to ensure the transition between sections was completely smooth, and would be touched up in due course.

29th August 2023

The installation of the new track was now nearing completion, with just a few more sections of the first drop left to install – the supports were already in place and visible through the trees from outside the theme park. Thanks to Eye Coaster for the photos.

10th September 2023

Scenic painting of the station theming continued at pace, with new darker shades being added to the top of the alien, giving it a more lifelike appearance. The lift hill and brake run had now been painted in black to match the new track, with just a few supports to finish off. The queue line which leads up the hill from the entrance had been fully removed.

26th September 2023 – Trains Revealed

Following their delivery to the Resort, Stoke Sentinel revealed a sneak peek of Nemesis’ new-look trains, featuring black seats and red restraints. These trains retained the classic B&M Invert design, and it was subsequently confirmed that they incorporate recycled technical components from the former trains.

15th October 2023

With the majority of the top of the station building theming now painted, the last week saw the front of the alien and tail completely removed for what appeared to be more extensive repairs and replacement. Where this took place to the front left leg, rebar was formed into the shape for this to be rebuilt. At the base of the lift hill, drive tyres had been reinstalled on the track, and on the brake run, magnetic brakes had been installed, replacing the first set of friction brakes – riders would enjoy a smoother and less abrupt deceleration, while reducing the costs for the Resort to maintain the ride. Over at the entrance to the ride, scaffolding had been erected around it to facilitate the repaint in the black colour scheme. The bus at the exit of the final inversion was also undergoing work, with the previous paint removed and a new white primer added. The new ride supports were being ‘grouted’ to the footers with concrete, ensuring a rigid connection to the foundations.

22nd October 2023

There had not been much in the way of visible progress on-site since the previous weekend. However, notable developments included the addition of a ‘Containment Unit’ banner to the scaffolding surrounding Nemesis’ pre-lift track and the application of the red vein paintwork to the retained lift hill track – the outline for which could be seen in the previous week’s update. With the removal of a small amount of scaffolding from around the front of the station, it was now even clearer how much of the outer theming had been removed, with it stripped back to the underlying wood.

29th October 2023

The following week saw the painted vein design fully applied to both the lift hill and brake run track, and the Nemesis Ride Photography unit painted in grey primer, with the black colour scheme visible to the right of the building.

3rd November 2023 – Nemesis is back with a vengeance

In dramatic footage published by Alton Towers, the Nemesis creature escaped containment after a secret experiment from the Phalanx organisation spiralled out of control, and sadly a few casualties came with it. The following day at the construction site it was evident that the perimeter walls had been breached, with visible damage to them and the Phalanx standing guard. Thanks to Sam from Coastertog for the photos.

5th November 2023

Following Nemesis breaching containment, nightfall saw the construction site illuminated with an impressive array of red lights, along with a white search light placed on the entrance structure looking for further disturbances…

10th December 2023

Although the Nemesis area in Forbidden Valley was not accessible this time of year, some progress on the construction project was visible from outside the theme park. Following completion of the track layout in November, with the last remaining sections installed after the lift hill, the supports in this area were being grouted to the footers. Black ride area and queue line fencing was replacing the previous wooden design, matching the aesthetic of the new colour scheme and being much sturdier moving forward. What appeared to be new electrical cabling had been ran to certain points by this fencing, potentially for the installation of new speakers or other items that require power.

7th January 2024

In our first update of 2024, the most notable development was the return of the three legs on the side of the Nemesis station facing into Forbidden Valley. With the rear leg clearly visible from outside the theme park, it was evident that these had returned with a new look design that featured spikes! Although the rear leg on the near-facing side had not undergone the same transformation, it had still received thematic painting to match the station’s new grey and red appearance. Despite it being a Sunday, there was still a small crew working on-site and around Forbidden Valley. In the area at the top of the site, a significant number of speakers were being stored ahead of installation throughout the queue line. Following the installation of more fencing, it was now clear that the queue would follow a new route that would take guests through the area overlooking Nemesis’ pit and station, and then around the stall turn that precedes the vertical loop. In some areas, speakers had already begun to be installed along with a seemingly new theming feature in the form of a shipping container that has been ripped open, presumably by the Nemesis creature. A second shipping container was currently located next to the top of the first drop, although it is not clear if this is where it will remain. Finally, looking into Forbidden Valley from the Galactica Gates, it was evident that work was ongoing on the brake run, which would need to be completed before ride testing can start. It could also be seen that part of the former Ripsaw Café had also been demolished to enable the construction of the new shop.

19th January 2024 – Testing

Following the reveal of Nemesis Reborn on 8th January, the ride finally awoke on 19th January when the team at Alton Towers Resort tested the coaster for the first time. In attendance were the BBC who ran a news report on the iconic milestone. At the time of the first test it was just 3°C, so the train crawled around the track. Many were intrigued to hear how the train sounded and if the ride would have any roar at all – thankfully it was still there, albeit quieter than the original.

28th January 2024

Visible from outside the park at vehicle gate 12 was what appeared to be the new tail for Nemesis Reborn, being staged before installation. Featuring a detailed spikier design that matched the new legs, it was a significant upgrade compared to the previous one. Work continued on constructing the new queue line, with block paving, speakers and permanent lighting installed along the route. The shipping container was moved into position in the middle of a queuing area, and was therefore expected to be a theming feature as it was not directly accessible from the queue line.

11th February 2024

This was the first time that we managed to catch Nemesis Reborn testing for ourselves – all wheel covers were now attached to the train and only some of the rows were occupied by test dummies. Around the top of the site, wooden fence posts had been installed in readiness for the rest of the fence to go in, in order to screen the outside of the park from guests waiting in the queue. Furthermore, some sort of interactive feature (potentially a telescope) had been installed in the section of the queue line alongside the entrance to the stall turn in-between the zero-g roll and vertical loop.

17th February 2024

The new tail had now been installed above the track at the back of the station, as the creature’s transformation continued. The wooden fence running alongside the queue line that overlooked the vertical loop now appeared largely complete. A crane was on-site during this visit, being used to give workers access down into the pit. The shipping container pictured in earlier updates was now entirely surrounded by queue line, whilst work continued on paving the queue and installing another wooden fence in the area around the top of the lift hill and first drop.

23rd February 2024

The transformation of Nemesis continued, with today seeing the installation of the “razor-sharp teeth” which would surround the creature’s new blazing red eye.

3rd March 2024

In a somewhat unexpected turn of events, additional sections of track were delivered to the Resort, with it possible to see that one section had been placed in the queue line, emerging from the shipping container that had been in location for a while. The wooden fence alongside the queue around the first drop had now been completed. It was also possible to see the helicopter that had been installed in the centre of the stall turn, overlooking the pit. The rollercoaster itself continued to test in preparation for its opening on 16th March, with both trains being cycled during our visit. Elsewhere in Forbidden Valley, The Blade had returned with the black and yellow paintwork reinstated on the tops of its supports.

5th March 2024

With the opening of Nemesis Reborn fast approaching, Alton Towers provided an insight into just some of the individuals behind the project as they completed the finishing touches. The photos released included some as yet unseen angles of the new-look track, as well as some sneak peeks of the overhauled creature itself, which took on a much more menacing (and spiky) appearance! The Resort also released a time lapse of the track replacement project.

9th March 2024

With just one week to until the opening of Nemesis Reborn, the Resort were busy completing the finishing touches to Nemesis as well as the wider area of Forbidden Valley. The wooden queue line fences had now been painted black, with the queue line itself now appearing largely complete. Another new theming feature was being installed in the queue line, looking to be some form of weapon which The Phalanx have targeted towards the Nemesis creature! It was also possible to spot tentacles on buildings in the area. The construction hoarding had now been removed, providing a clear view of the brake run from the open Galactica Gates. Looking into the area, it was just about possible to make out a ‘Nemesis Surveillance’ sign above the on-ride photo kiosk. The Phalanx had also taken over the Coca Cola Freestyle unit, with the addition of blue detailing which sees the unit marked “M1X”. The new shop, confirmed to be called Supply Store Bunker 94 by the newly released 2024 map, also looked to be nearing completion. The map also confirmed that Ground Command – Coffee Outpost, Generator – Refuelling Company and Energy Station would be the names of the area’s refreshed food and beverage outlets, as well as providing a sneak peek at the new entrance portal situated at the end of the pathway from Gloomy Wood.