The Gröna Lund Jetline roller coaster is being demolished two years after a fatal accident in 2023, closing a chapter for one of Stockholm’s most recognisable amusement park rides and reopening the debate on ride safety in Sweden.
From iconic Jetline to closed attraction after the 2023 accident
The Jetline roller coaster opened at Gröna Lund in 1988 and quickly became one of the park’s signature attractions, with a curved lift hill, sharp drops and speeds of up to 90 km/h. For decades it was marketed as a classic thrill ride in the small but dense waterfront park on Djurgården in central Stockholm.
That image changed on 25 June 2023. Late in the morning, a support arm on the right side of a train broke, causing a sudden stop and a partial derailment. Several passengers were thrown forward against the safety bar, and three people fell from the train. A woman in her 30s died from her injuries, and a total of nine people were injured, including children.
The park closed immediately after the roller coaster accident and remained shut for a week while emergency services and inspectors secured the site. Jetline stayed closed for the rest of the 2023 season and did not reopen in 2024, as the authorities launched a full investigation into the causes of the derailment.
Investigation blames faulty replacement parts and safety gaps
The accident triggered a detailed investigation by the Swedish Accident Investigation Authority (Statens haverikommission, SHK). The final report, published in 2024, concluded that the derailment was caused by a faulty replacement support arm that had been installed on Jetline a few years earlier.
According to the investigators, the order placed by Gröna Lund for new support arms lacked precise technical requirements. The parts were manufactured by a supplier that did not hold the right certification for amusement rides, and a crucial part of the welding was missing. This meant the support arm could not withstand the repeated forces generated during operation.
The report criticised shortcomings in the entire chain, from ordering and manufacturing to testing and documentation. Inspectors noted that the defect could not be easily detected during routine checks, which raised questions about how safety‑critical components are designed and approved.
In parallel, prosecutors opened a criminal case against Gröna Lund and two other companies involved in the production and maintenance of the ride. They are accused of gross causing of death, gross bodily harm and creating danger to the public. The companies deny the charges, but the legal process reflects how seriously Swedish authorities treat safety failures in public attractions.
Why Gröna Lund is tearing Jetline down now
After the publication of the investigation, Gröna Lund’s management confirmed that Jetline would never reopen. The ride has remained inactive in the middle of the park since the accident, visible but inaccessible to visitors.
Park CEO Jan Eriksson has now confirmed that the demolition of Jetline will start as soon as the 2025 season ends. Preparatory work is already under way, and dismantling is expected to continue throughout the winter. Removing the structure is technically complex because Gröna Lund is a compact, tightly built park, and Jetline stands in the centre of the area.
Eriksson has described the decision as a question of responsibility and respect for those affected by the accident. He has also said that the park accepts the conclusions of the investigation and wants to ensure that a similar incident cannot happen again.
Gröna Lund has developed plans for a new attraction to replace Jetline, but these remain confidential. For now, the park emphasises that any future investment on the site will need to meet stricter safety requirements and respond to visitors’ concerns.
What the demolition means for ride safety in Sweden
The demolition of Jetline is more than a technical operation. It symbolizes a shift in how amusement park safety is discussed in Sweden and the wider Nordic region.
Sweden has a strong record on product safety and inspection regimes, and serious amusement park accidents are rare. The Jetline derailment has nevertheless exposed vulnerabilities in the way complex rides are updated and maintained, especially when key components are ordered from external suppliers.
The case has prompted regulators, inspectors and operators to reconsider how they define and control safety‑critical parts, how documentation is handled and how responsibilities are shared along the supply chain. It has also given more visibility to victims and survivors, who have described long rehabilitation processes and ongoing emotional effects.
For Stockholm, the removal of Jetline will change the skyline of Gröna Lund, where other large roller coasters such as Monster and Vilda Musen will continue to operate. For the amusement industry, it is a reminder that technical innovation and visitor safety must move together, and that failures in one component can have consequences far beyond a single ride.
As the steel structure comes down over the winter, the Jetline accident will remain a reference point in debates about how European parks manage risk, regulate suppliers and rebuild trust with visitors.
