Travel test

WHAT: One of Alton Towers’ biggest and most-loved rollercoasters - Nemesis - has reopened as the rebranded Nemesis Reborn after a 16-month revamp. When the ride launched in 1994 it was the first inverted rollercoaster (where the seats hang below the tracks) in Europe.

Riders whip round the 2,349ft track at terrifying speeds, reaching highs of 81mph with G-force of +3.5G. The attraction is included in the normal ticket price, from £36 (€42) for online advance bookings. You must be at least 1.4m tall to ride.

WHERE: Located east of Stokeon-trent, the park is easy to reach by car via the M6 or M1. The nearest train station is Uttoxeter. EXPERIENCE: The ride’s backstory is based on Nemesis, an alien predator who is now out of control, with fans learning the terrifying tale as they queue through video clips and abandoned ‘office’ sets.

Staff wear hazmat suits and actors run around dressed as TV crew covering the beast’s “unusual behaviour” while protestors call for her to be freed.

The revamp has seen the majority of the track replaced and it’s now a smooth and thrilling experience.

QUIBBLES: The queue. It was always going to be longer on opening weekend with dedicated rollercoaster fans eager to be among the first to ride, but it reached four and a half hours at one point. It did drop down later in the day but we didn’t see it any lower than 90 minutes.

VERDICT: After 30 years, the old Nemesis definitely needed a lick of paint but the reboot has gone several steps further making it a stand-out show-stopper.

While the ride’s character and story remains, it has been brought firmly up to date with this glossy re-vamp.