Rita is an intense steel launch roller coaster located at Alton Towers Resort within the beautiful Staffordshire countryside. Originally debuting under the name Rita: Queen of Speed, this £8m thrill ride is situated in the Dark Forest section of the theme park and delivers an incredible surge of acceleration.
Rita at Alton Towers: Blasting into the Dark Forest
Rita completely transformed the park’s ride lineup when it opened to the public on 1st April 2005. The roller coaster became the first hydraulic launch roller coaster of its kind in the whole of Europe. It offers a low-slung, twisted track layout that negotiates high-speed corners and intense airtime hills, leaving your upper body completely exposed to the elements.
Before you head out to face the launch, remember to check our dedicated Alton Towers Offers Page to find active ticket discounts, short break holiday packages, and standard entry vouchers.
How Fast is Rita at Alton Towers? (Top Speed & Acceleration)
For theme park fans looking for the exact Rita speed metrics, the high-speed accelerator train rockets from 0 to 61.1mph (98.3km/h) in a blistering 2.5 seconds. It utilises a powerful hydraulic launch winch system—the same core propulsion technology utilised for Stealth at Thorpe Park – to launch riders out of the station with up to 4.7 Gs of force.
How Long is the Rita Ride? (Duration & Track Length)
If you are tracking the ride experience, the total high-speed track layout extends over 2,100ft (640m). Because the train carries immense velocity throughout the entire circuit, the ride duration from the initial launch burst to the final brake run is incredibly fast, clocking in at just 25 seconds of pure white-knuckle adrenaline.
Why is Rita Called Rita? (The Name History Explained)
A common question from visitors is why did Alton Towers name their roller coaster Rita? While the original marketing campaign focused on a 1950s drag racing theme, the name is actually a clever internal engineering acronym. The ride was manufactured by Intamin as a Rocket Coaster model. If you combine Alton Towers with Intamin Rocket and reverse the letters (ATIR), you get RITA!
As a fun piece of park history, the ride was temporarily renamed ‘Camilla – Queen of Speed’ for a short period in 2005 to commemorate the British Royal Wedding that took place during the coaster’s opening month.
Rita Statistics
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- Top Speed: 98.3km/h (61.1mph)
- Original Cost: £8m
- Estimated Cost Today: £12.5m
- Track Length: 2100ft (640m)
- Height: 69ft (21m)
- Manufacturer: Intamin
- Type: Steel Hydraulic Launched Accelerator
- Lift/Launch: Hydraulic Launch
- Inversions: 0
- G-Force: 4.7 G
- Trains: 2
- Passengers per Train: 20
- Ride Duration: 25s
- Year Opened: 2005 (as Rita: Queen of Speed) / 2009 (as Rita)
If you have not played the game before, view our Roller Coaster Top Trumps instructions.
The Evolution of Dark Forest
When the ride originally opened, it sat in the Ug Land section of the park with a bright red track structure and hot-rod theme. However, in 2010, the arrival of Th13teen triggered a total overhaul of the area into the Dark Forest. The park updated Rita’s visual design, painting the supports a deep moss-green and adding unique theming that implies the surrounding forest vines and dark supernatural forces have overgrown the racing scaffolding.
Interestingly, Rita is one of the very few flagship roller coasters built at Alton Towers that did not form part of the park’s legendary Secret Weapon (SW) development program, as it was acquired outside the traditional development cycle to provide a major thrill addition between project windows.
The Complete Alton Towers Coaster Collection
Rita is just one element of a world-class selection of thrill rides operating at the resort. Browse our comprehensive visitor guides for the other signature layouts:
- Wicker Man: A sensory GCI wooden layout fusing traditional timber tracking with simulated fire elements.
- Galactica: The iconic B&M flying machine that completely redefines the feeling of flight.
- Nemesis Reborn: The legendary B&M inverted coaster, completely rebuilt with a striking new look.
- Oblivion: The iconic world-first diving machine featuring a 180ft drop directly into an underground tunnel.
- The Smiler: The world’s first and only 14 loop roller coaster.
- Th13teen: The £15m vertical freefall drop coaster located directly adjacent to Rita.
Planning your journey? Explore our master Alton Towers Resort Directory, read our breakdowns on Alton Towers Secrets, or map your day out using our comprehensive Alton Towers Insider Tips.
UK Record-Breaking Leaderboards
See where the park ranks nationally by reviewing our ultimate statistics matrices tracking the Tallest Roller Coasters in the UK, the Longest Roller Coasters in the UK, the Fastest Roller Coasters in the UK, and the definitive countdown of UK Roller Coasters with the Most Inversions.
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