Thomas and Friends steam into London for special rail safety episode

Thomas & Friends are releasing a special episode of the favourite children’s show in a bid to teach young children about rail safety.

The episode which is out today (Monday the 11th of April) is part of a campaign between Network Rail and Thomas & Friends® and will see some of the show’s best-loved characters such as Thomas and Sir Topham Hatt off on an adventure that sees them visit London’s most celebrated railway stations.

During the Easter holidays, Thomas and the gang will be carrying out three launch events on station concourses with children being invited to come down and enjoy the fun whilst learning about rail safety.

The event coincides with the launch of the special episode of Thomas & Friends® and should appeal to children aged three to six years of age and gently covers the subject matter of rail safety in a bid to raise awareness of the dangers of misusing the railway. The animation sees a 2-minute film advising parents of good ways to begin conversations with their children about this vital subject matter.

In the exclusive episode, Thomas’ friend Diesel is as usual being cheeky and learns his lesson when he travels too fast over the tracks in a game of red light, green light with Thomas and his fellow engine Nia. Diesel finds out about the dangers of misusing the railway and why it is more important to be safe than be silly. The film can be seen below:

Comedian Sophie McCartney who is mum to nine-year-old Jack and six-year-old Evelyn, and The Sunday Times’ number one best-selling author of, ‘Tired and Tested: The Wild Ride into Parenthood’ and is also supporting the safety based campaign.

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Sophie said: “I have young children myself and totally agree that rail safety is a subject that should be discussed more by parents. But knowing how to get the messaging right can be tricky. I love how Network Rail and Thomas & Friends have teamed up to inject some fun into this campaign which still has safety at its heart but will make parents and children much more receptive to what they are trying to teach, because let’s be honest, which child doesn’t love an episode of Thomas & Friends!”

Rupert Lown, chief health and safety officer at Network Rail said: “With leisure travel back to pre-pandemic levels, our stations are once again buzzing with life. It’s lovely seeing families off on exciting days out and having fun. But it’s important that children are made aware of the potential dangers surrounding the railway, so they know how to use it safely.

“Research* has shown us that most parents are very good at discussing road safety, but rail safety often gets forgotten about, or parents don’t know how to bring up the subject in an age-appropriate way with their children. Using Thomas & Friends makes it more light-hearted and creates an opportunity to bring up the subject of safety in a nurturing way.”

The launch events will take place as follows:

• London Victoria on Monday the 11th of April at 14:30 and 15:30
• London Bridge on Thursday the 14th of April at 11:00, 12:00, 13:00, 15:00 and 16:30
• London Waterloo on Wednesday the 20th of April at 11:00, 12:00, 13:00, 15:00 and 16:30