Thomas the Tank Engine fans are now able to enjoy a longer ride on their favorite train after a section of central Japan line on which the tourist attraction runs was reopened on Saturday thanks to track repairs made in the wake of a 2022 typhoon.
Shin-Kanaya Station in Shimada, Shizuoka Prefecture, was crowded with families and other "Thomas & Friends" enthusiasts taking pictures of the blue and red train made famous by the long-running British television program.
The train departed the station at 9:30 a.m. with a blast of its whistle, carrying its passengers away for the now-extended 100-minute round trip.
The full-size Thomas the Tank Engine now pulls its carriages over a distance of 17.7 kilometers between Shin-Kanaya and Kawane-Onsen-Sasamado Station, again giving passengers a view of the Oi River as the train crosses a bridge.
Oigawa Railway began operating its Thomas the Tank Engine attraction in 2014, but the track was damaged due to torrential rains caused by a typhoon in September 2022. At the completion of the repairs, two more Oigawa Line stations have been added to the service.
The attraction will operate through Dec. 25, mainly on weekends, with two to three services a day.
"The scenery from the window was impressive and my son enjoyed it," Takafumi Yoshida, 37, who came from Yokosuka, south of Tokyo, said. "I am glad that we came all the way here."
