New Playland rollercoaster ‘on track’ for summer launch

Rollercoaster enthusiasts will want to get ready for July, with the PNE saying its newest Playland ride is “on track” to open this summer.

Officials say construction continues on the ThunderVolt, which they say will be “Canada’s fastest electric launch coaster.”

While we don’t have an exact date yet, the PNE says the coaster will be good to go in July, with more specifics to come a month prior.

“I think the coaster is going to be something very, very special for not only Vancouver but British Columbia. It’s very unique. It is a state-of-the-art, brand-new launch coaster that has an incredible amount of G forces,” explained Laura Ballance, who speaks for the PNE.

“I think that it’s a massive addition to the Playland lineup and we’re very, very excited to open it this summer.”

According to the PNE, the ThunderVolt will be 380 metres long, with a maximum height of 18 metres. The 8.2-metre trains can carry 12 people at a time in three vehicles, with 1.3 Gs of acceleration through an illuminated tunnel.

“It is a fully electric coaster so that gives it that incredible acceleration when it does launch with each train. It’s going to be a very interesting juxtaposition to our, of course, historic Playland wooden coaster, and it’s going to be neat to have something that is state-of-the-art in the same park,” Ballance said.

Announced in November 2022, the ThunderVolt is being built by Italian company Zamperla. It will be located in the place of the now-retired Corkscrew coaster.

Ballance says this is the largest investment the PNE has made on a single ride.

“It is an expensive coaster. We’ve budgeted in the area of around $17 million and it’s going to be in that area when it’s completed, and that includes the entire ride, all of the landscaping, and cleaning around it. it’s a significant investment for the PNE and we’re excited to open the coaster,” Ballance explained.

Playland will open its Hastings Park gates to the public on May 18, with the season running until Aug. 16.

The PNE Fair, meanwhile, will run from Aug. 17 to Sep. 2.

The PNE is owned by the City of Vancouver and is a non-profit organization that welcomes more than three million visitors each year, organizers say.

-With files from Sonia Aslam