Alton Towers has confirmed that the trains on its 2013 rollercoaster Secret Weapon Seven (SW7) will be 16-seater vehicles.
The announcement of a 4×4 row configuration ends confusion earlier this week when it was vaguely claimed by a local newspaper that the ride’s capacity would be 64 passengers per ride.
It is possible that the ride will feature four such trains, which could explain the 64-passenger figure being misrepresented.
In a press release, the park also confirmed that the ride would have a 1.4 metre height restriction and cited the construction cost as being £18 million.
Planning documents submitted to the local authorities last year stated that the ride would be the same manufacturer and type as that of Saw – The Ride at Thorpe Park.
16-seater trains would represent a relatively new approach for the ride’s manufacturers Gerstlauer compared to other examples of their Euro-Fighter model.
They usually feature eight-seater cars, such is the case of the three examples of the model in the UK – Saw, Speed – No Limits (at Oakwood) and Rage (at Adventure Island).
SW7 will open to the public on 16 March next year, the first day of Alton Towers’ 2013 main season.