Goodbye Scorpion Express?
July 3rd 2023
Is Chessington World of Adventures about to say goodbye Scorpion Express?
Opening in 1987 as the Runaway Mine Train, this Mack Rides roller coaster has been a favourite at the park since its opening. However, over recent years the ride has suffered a lot of technical problems. Could this sadly be the end of the line for Scorpion Express?
At the end of the 2012 season, a number of issues appeared surrounding the Runaway Train. Ageing rockwork had become unsafe. With £5m pledged to fix up aspects of Chessington, work began in earnest to transform this once classic ride into something new.
Scorpion Express opened in 2014 following a year closed. With the ride system overhauled and the train looking fresh and new. The ride felt loved again. Although the rockwork had gone. Scorpion Express became a unique take on the classic runaway train. Updating the ride and entertaining a new generation of thrill seekers.
Closed For 2022
However, not everything lasts forever. At the end of July 2022, reports of an incident began to surface. People claimed that the ride had caught fire. The ride and its surrounding area shuttered. What was the future of this ride? No one knew.
With nothing by way of an announcement from the Resort Theme Park. Speculation is rife amongst fans and we thought it was time to discuss this very topic. Could this ultimately be the end of Scorpion Express? In our opinion, not yet.
Let’s be real. Scorpion Express represents an important part of the ride lineup at Chessington. This family coaster is for a lot of adventurers on their first roller coaster. With its relatively low height restriction, young children can experience this powered roller coaster. With a controlled speed and a low height, it is the perfect stepping stone before guests swing through the trees on Vampire.
Remaining Closed
The ride is sadly still closed. As of the time of writing in July 2023, the ride is yet to reopen nearly a year down the line. Little is known about what is happening with the ride. There have been unconfirmed reports of the ride being seen testing and moving, but the park currently lists the status as “Closed Until Further Notice”. Could this be the end of this classic coaster?
The removal of the ride now wouldn’t be the best idea for the park. Therefore, it is likely that Chessington will spend some time working on the ride. Taking the extra time to fix up the ride. We do however believe the ride may be on borrowed time.
A Potential Future
Scorpion Express is an old ride. Rides and attractions do not last forever. Maintaining an ageing attraction also comes with high costs. Parts become more expensive to replace. The track starts to need more work and the expenses spiral. Could it, therefore, be that Chessington is now drawing up plans to replace the ride?
With Scorpion Express having a large amount of downtime in recent years and the ride ageing. This seems like a prime location for redevelopment. The nearby Children’s Zoo was listed as a redevelopment site by the LTDP. If we merge this site with Scorpion Express and the former Flying Jumbo’s plot behind Croc Drop. A large site appears. Perfect for large-scale development, perhaps a new roller coaster could sit here?
Could Chessington now be drawing up plans to replace this ageing ride? Scorpion Express only has a limited shelf life, so we, therefore, believe something new could be in the works to fit this location. But what could go there? We’ll leave that up to you for now. Be creative! An exciting new development could replace Scorpion Express and it could be sooner than we think.
Is it finally time for fans to bid Scorpion Express goodbye? Will Chessington World of Adventures mould this area into a new attraction in the future? Only time will tell. We must remind our friends and readers. This is merely speculation and is not confirmation of anything happening to Scorpion Express.
