The Ultimate (roller coaster)

The Ultimate was a steel roller coaster located at Lightwater Valley theme park in North Yorkshire, England. Manufactured by British Rail Engineering Limited, the roller coaster opened in 1991 as the longest roller coaster in the world, surpassing The Beast at Kings Island in the United States. It held the record until the opening of Steel Dragon 2000 in Japan. The Ultimate operated through the 2019 season and was shut down following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. After several years of standing idle, the decision was made to remove the ride in 2023. Park management cited safety concerns and the costs to refurbish the ride as the reason, as well as the park's shift in focus to becoming more family-orientated.