UK thrill-seekers can enjoy one of Europe’s oldest and most unique rollercoasters again today after Blackpool’s Pleasure Beach Resort confirmed its 90 year-old Grand National ride has finally re-opened. The 62-ft high Grand National is Europe’s only twin-track racing coaster, with two racing trains leaving the art deco station at the same time, on a half-twist ‘Mobius loop’ track before a race to the finish.
Opened in 1935, the Grade II-listed wooden rollercoaster was feared by fans to be being mothballed or moved off site as it was out of action when the park reopened in the spring. But instead Pleasure Beach Resort promised it was just having a facelift and would reopen ahead of the Lancashire resort’s traditional packed Scottish school holidays at the end of June – and it has!
The work involved replacing sections of the track, installing a new drive sprocket, replacing parts of the pull up chain, and some repainting.
The Pleasure Beach say that due to the ride’s national heritage, maintenance had to be carried out by a specialist team which took extra time.
The work was delivered by Pleasure Beach’s own engineers, who were simultaneously working on the re-imagining of Launch Pad, which opened in May.
Amanda Thompson OBE, CEO of Pleasure Beach Resort, said: “The Grand National has always held a special place in the hearts of our guests, and we’re proud to preserve its legacy while continuing to deliver unforgettable experiences for generations to come.”
The park is now open every day until September, and then some weekends and week days until November.
Pleasure Beach is open late seven more times this season, with the next being Saturday July 5.
This Late Night Riding with Fireworks event means that guests could potentially ride Grand National for 11 hours as the sun sets, and also enjoy a firework display at the end of the night.
Blackpool has seen a resurgence in recent years with huge investment in the Lancashire seaside resort.
In April the Daily Express revealed the popular seaside resort may soon house two of the UK’s newest daredevil rides – with one a 253ft-high stomach-churning spinning ‘starflyer’.
The Starflyer and 39ft-high Log Flume, over mini-lake, would be open from April to October every year by South Pier if approved.
The Blackpool Pier Company said both rides would financially help to support all three of the north-west England resort’s Victorian-era piers – North, South and Central.
In March Blackpool Council unveiled the first phase of the welcome £90m Government funding plan to demolish about 400 properties no longer fit for purpose and replace them with up to 280 bigger new homes.
Weeks later, new visitor numbers for the resort revealed a soaring rise in tourists, with data for 2023 showing it attracted 21.5m tourists – a 6% increase compared to 2022’s figure of 20.3m.
It comes after the town’s famous Pleasure Beach Resort hit back at disappointment at the closure of five of their rides – after £2.7m pre-tax losses in their latest annual report – by stressing they were investing in new “bigger and better” rides.
Grand National was designed by Charles Paige in 1935, and the art deco-inspired ride station was designed by Joseph Emberton who also designed the Casino Building.
There is a total of 6,604 ft of track, the maximum height of the ride is 62ft, the carts travel at a maximum of 45mph, the ride lasts three minutes, and the capacity is 720 riders/hour.
* Guests can book tickets to ride Grand National at www.pleasurebeachresort.com, and secure the best deals by booking in advance.