Alton Towers Almanac

Out of control… a fast and exciting journey around the African village

Why, where, when?

The Runaway Mine Train was the newly added "coaster" for the 1992 season, and was part of the first major investment in the park after it was bought by the Tussauds Group. It was to form part of a brand new themed area called Katanga Canyon, and would be joined by the Grand Canyon Rapids, previously part of the old Aqualand. It was also one of the first rides to be designed with the helping hand of John Wardley, designer of Nemesis, Oblivion and Air.

But what is it like?

The Runaway Mine Train is, in our opinion, one of the best themed rides in the park. It may be made of steel, but most of the track that is visible is completely obliterated by lots of wooded trestle, giving it a completely new feel and look. After queuing, you join the train which has standard lap bar restraints. You will notice at this point that there is no lift hill. This is because, this coaster isn't really a coaster. The whole ride is powered throughout, giving the ride operator control over the speed the train travels, but this doesn't stop the train from going pretty fast at some stages.

It is often said to us that the most thrilling part of the ride, is a very quick entry into the tunnel which is shared with the Congo River Rapids, although there are another couple of very quick corners involved.

High throughput, and a relatively short ride time means that you will be treated to two laps around the track, the second being much faster in the first third of the track.