The Swarm (roller coaster)

The Swarm
The dive drop of The Swarm
Thorpe Park
LocationThorpe Park
Park sectionSwarm Island
Coordinates51°24′20″N 0°30′55.5″W / 51.40556°N 0.515417°W / 51.40556; -0.515417
StatusOperating
Opening date15 March 2012 (2012-03-15)
Cost£20 million[1][2]
General statistics
TypeSteel – Wing Coaster
ManufacturerBolliger & Mabillard
ModelCustom
Lift/launch systemChain lift hill
Height38.6 m (127 ft)
Length775 m (2,543 ft)
Speed59 mph (95 km/h)
Inversions4
G-force4.5
Height restriction140–196 cm (4 ft 7 in – 6 ft 5 in)
Trains7 cars. Riders are arranged 4 across in a single row for a total of 28 riders per train.
WebsiteOfficial website
Fastrack available
Disabled access Wheelchair accessible
The Swarm at RCDB

The Swarm is a steel roller coaster located at Thorpe Park in the United Kingdom.[3] The Swarm was the world's second Wing Coaster model designed by Swiss roller coaster manufacturer Bolliger & Mabillard and the first one located in the United Kingdom.[4] Construction commenced in May 2011, and the coaster opened on 15 March 2012.[5] From 2013 until 2015, the last two rows of each train used to be facing backwards, while the first five rows faced forward. This was restored to the original configuration in 2016.

The 2,543-foot-long (775 m) ride stands 127 feet (39 m) tall and features four inversions along with a heavily-banked left turn. Riders experience speeds of up to 59 mph (95 km/h) and 4.5 times the force of gravity. A marketing campaign for the ride dubbed LC12 - The End is Coming began eleven months before The Swarm opened to the public. It has generally been well-received, ranking highly amongst other winged roller coaster designs.

  1. ^ Thorpe Park & The Swarm; New Ride Area. TopDogDays. 3 August 2011. Retrieved 14 January 2023.
  2. ^ Thorpe Park's new ride The Swarm terrifies Red Arrows pilot. AOL. 23 February 2012. Retrieved 14 January 2023.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference RCDB was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ "New coaster crashes into Thorpe Park!". Park World Magazine. Datateam Business Media Limited. 15 March 2012. Archived from the original on 10 November 2013. Retrieved 21 May 2013.
  5. ^ "Thorpe Park's New £20m Development Is No April Fools". Thorpe Park. 31 March 2011. Archived from the original on 27 July 2011. Retrieved 2 August 2011.