New £16.25m Rollercoaster has Final Track Installed

Take a first ride on ICON – with this film simulation

The final piece of track was installed in Blackpool Pleasure Beach’s new £16.25 million rollercoaster – ICON yesterday (14 February).

The track completion in the build of the world’s most interactive rollercoaster was conducted by a 50-strong team, using a crane to hoist the final piece of grey steel track into place.
This sees a key section of the rollercoaster complete which will see riders catapulted forward at speeds of up to 50 miles per hour ahead of soaring to heights of 82 feet.

ICON’s 1.14 kilometre track has been installed over a period of five months and this significant development milestone sees all of the rollercoaster track construction now complete. Focus will now turn to putting the finishing touches to the UK’s first double launch rollercoaster, which features two powerful thrusts of acceleration, as well as a rigorous period of safety testing ahead of its opening.

Amanda Thompson OBE, Managing Director at Blackpool Pleasure Beach, comments; “Since work began in December 2016 we have seen hundreds of pieces of track hoisted into position in anticipation of this moment.

“The track comprises of hundreds of tonnes of world-class steel transported from Germany and manufactured using state-of-the-art engineering processes for a smoother, faster and more exhilarating ride than ever experienced before.”

Nick Thompson, Deputy Managing Director of Blackpool Pleasure Beach adds; “This is the culmination of an intense design and engineering process to bring a ride that is the first of its kind to the UK.

“The completion of ICON’s track has been no easy feat, as it loops through and around the Pleasure Beach’s other rides 15 times. To see the track in its entirety is hugely rewarding and brings us a significant step closer to sharing this unique rollercoaster experience with the public in spring 2018.”