Alton Towers in Staffordshire is the United Kingdom's most visited theme park - attracting 2.4 million people in 2012 - and the 9th most visited theme park in Europe. The park offers a little something for everyone but, it offers a wide range of rides and experiences for thrill-seekers. In particular, the rollercoasters in the park are very prominent (there are now eight of them scattered sporadically across the thirteen different themed areas of the park) and the long-term Alton Towers plan is to keep adding more in order to keep visitors coming back regularly. The rollercoasters in the park range from dated, quite uninspiring and tame examples to modern, multi-million pound super-structures with unique elements that are enough to make even the most hardened rollercoaster rider hold on for dear life and scream for mercy. Having visited the park last week, here is my list of the rollercoasters in Alton Towers ranked from worst to best. Hold on tight...
8. The Runaway Mine Train
Manufactured by Mack Rides, Alton Towers' Runaway Mine Train has been functioning since 1992 and is, frankly, starting to stagnate. The only remaining appeal of this rather tame (by modern standards) offering is that the carriage does two circuits of the track (hence the 'runaway' theme) and occasionally does more than two on quiet days. The ride is 300 metres in length and reaches a lowly 22.4mph and should only be bothered with if the queues at the park are incredibly quiet or non-existent when you visit (assuming you're a thrill-seeker, anyway). Obviously a ride of this nature has no inversions and the biggest moment comes in the form of a 62 foot drop. Conclusion: This ride needs to be replaced. Would not recommend.