Nemesis is an inverted steel roller coaster at Alton Towers in Staffordshire, England, designed by Bolliger & Mabillard (B&M) with a layout by Werner Stengel. When it opened on 19 March 1994, it became the first B&M inverted coaster to operate in Europe, setting a new benchmark for thrill rides on the continent.
Built into a natural ravine carved from the earth to comply with Alton Towers’ strict height restrictions, Nemesis delivers four inversions—a vertical loop, a zero-g roll, and two corkscrews—at a top speed of 50 mph. After nearly 30 years of operation, the ride underwent a complete refurbishment in 2023 and reopened in March 2024 under the name Nemesis Reborn.
Stats at a Glance
- Park: Alton Towers, Staffordshire, England
- Manufacturer: Bolliger & Mabillard (B&M)
- Opened: March 19, 1994
- Height: 42.6 ft (13 m)
- Drop: 104 ft (31.7 m)
- Top Speed: 50 mph (81 km/h)
- Length: 2,349 ft (716 m)
- Inversions: 4
The Ride Experience
Riders board suspended trains and plunge immediately into a ravine that concept designer John Wardley had excavated to keep the coaster below the park’s planning height limits. The sequence—chain lift, corkscrew, zero-g roll, vertical loop, final corkscrew—generates up to 3.5 G-forces and passes within feet of rock walls and pools of red-tinted water, intensifying the alien-creature theme throughout the 1-minute-20-second ride.
Each of two trains carries 32 riders, and the attraction runs at a capacity of around 1,400 riders per hour. The combination of tight terrain interaction, relentless pacing, and minimal dead time made Nemesis one of the most celebrated steel coasters in Europe for three decades.
History and Legacy
Conceived as an alien creature unearthed during construction, Nemesis debuted in 1994 as a bold departure from the tamer attractions of its era. Its success helped establish B&M as the premier manufacturer of inverted coasters worldwide, and it has appeared consistently in Amusement Today’s Golden Ticket Award rankings since the list launched in 1998, peaking at seventh in the world steel coaster standings in 2003.
In 2023 Alton Towers closed the ride for a full retrack and retheme. The overhauled attraction reopened on 16 March 2024 as Nemesis Reborn, preserving the original layout while introducing updated theming and refreshed trains for a new generation of riders.
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Nemesis FAQs
Where is Nemesis located?
Nemesis is located at Alton Towers theme park in Alton, Staffordshire, England.
How many inversions does Nemesis have?
Nemesis features four inversions: one vertical loop, one zero-g roll, and two corkscrews.
Is Nemesis still operating?
Yes. After a major refurbishment in 2023, the ride reopened on 16 March 2024 under the name Nemesis Reborn, retaining the original layout with new theming and updated trains.
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Photo: Andrew Abbott / CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.