Derren Brown's Ghost Train: Rise of the Demon

Derren Brown's Ghost Train is billed as a modern take on the traditional ghost train, but the casual observer would be hard pressed to find much in common with the rickety carts travelling through darkened passages that we imagine when we think of a normal ride of that type.

The ride is a combination of Virtual Reality and live-action experience. It is set inside an old Victorian train depot, and its centrepiece is a Victorian railway carriage suspended on chains from the ceiling. Juxtaposing this is a dystopian feeling theme, with posters commenting on the dangers of fracking, and advertisements for a fictional mining company known as Sub Core, seen throughout the attraction.

British illusionist and mentalist Derren Brown fronts the ride, and acted as a consultant during the design and construction. Indeed, he is seen several times throughout the quarter of an hour long experience, including in a nicely done Pepper's Ghost illusion that acts as a pre-show to introduce the ride.

During the ride guests board the Victorian railway carriage and put on HTC Vive headsets, through which they experience several virtual reality segments. At the end of the ride, they are asked to keep the secret of what they have experienced - indeed, going into Derren Brown's Ghost Train without being forewarned of what lies inside is by far the best way to try out the attraction.

After a lot of teething troubles during its premiere season in 2016, the ride got a revamp for 2017 and returned as Derren Brown's Ghost Train: Rise of the Demon. Several glitches with the VR were rectified, a whole section of story was replaced, and additional effects were added. This has vastly improved the experience, and the ride now feels much more compelling.

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WC16 Construction

Construction of Derren Brown's Ghost Train began in late 2014, with the clearing and removal of the former Arena. Building work continued throughout the 2015 season. Before the official name was announced, the ride was codenamed Project Whitechapel, or simply WC16.

Unfortunately, construction delays meant that the attraction did not open at the beginning of the 2016 season, and further delays meant that the first officially announced opening date of 6 May 2016 was also missed. The ride finally opened on 8 July 2016, following several days of soft openings and previews.