Pégase Express

In early June 2017, Pégase Express was already accessible to visitors, even before the official opening later that month. Looopings reported that the first on-ride videos had appeared on YouTube. Fans could finally see how the new coaster felt from the train itself.

The article confirmed the key ride features in practice. Pégase Express sits in the Greek themed area, is almost a kilometre long and reaches 52 kilometres per hour. Passengers travel both forwards and backwards. Halfway through the ride, the train stops in the temple of Medusa before the backwards section begins. The 16 million euro attraction was built by Gerstlauer, with scenery designed by Jora Vision.

For visitors, this was the moment when the long build-up became tangible. What had started with leaked concepts and a fan survey was now a real ride experience. For Parc Astérix, the early availability showed that the family coaster was ready to add capacity, theming and broad appeal to the Greek area. For fans, the first on-ride videos immediately proved that Pégase Express was more than a standard junior coaster.

On 23 May 2017, Parc Astérix announced the official opening date for Pégase Express. The new family coaster would open on Sunday 11 June. After months of designs, construction photos and test runs, visitors finally had a clear date to look forward to.

Looopings again listed the key details: the ride is 928 metres long, was built by Gerstlauer, sits in the Greek themed area and reaches 52 kilometres per hour. Part of the ride is taken backwards, and the attraction operates with four trains. Its accessibility also stood out: children from one metre tall would be allowed to ride, firmly positioning Pégase Express as a family attraction.

For the park, the opening was more than a simple expansion. With a budget of 16 million euros, Pégase Express became the second-largest investment Parc Astérix had made since opening in 1989. The park promised a sensational, mythical journey with humorous references to the Asterix and Obelix comics. For fans, that mattered: the coaster needed to add capacity and family appeal, but also feel at home in the park's comic-book style.

At the end of April 2017, Pégase Express reached a new milestone: test runs had begun. Looopings based its report on footage from a fan site and noted that the opening was still planned for June. For fans, this was the moment when design drawings and construction photos turned into movement on the track.

The specifications showed what Parc Astérix was close to completing. Pégase Express would be a 928-metre family coaster with a top speed of 52 kilometres per hour and a ride time of about three minutes. Part of the layout runs over water, and halfway through the ride the train stops inside the temple of Medusa before the backwards section begins. The coaster would operate with four trains, Gerstlauer supplied the ride and Jora Vision designed the theming.

For visitors, the test runs meant the opening was getting close. The news also suggested that the key technical and show elements were coming together: track length, capacity, scenery and the backwards feature. Pégase Express was about to become a family-friendly but notably complete addition to the coaster line-up at Parc Astérix.