Thomas and Percy Bring New Life to Heritage Railway

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When Thomas and Percy stood side by side at Shin-Kanaya Station, cheers erupted from the passengers and children filling the platform.

Oigawa Railway in Shizuoka Prefecture has operated its popular Thomas the Tank Engine steam train since 2014. In March, the railway also introduced its first motorized Percy locomotive, which operated alongside Thomas until mid-June.

*The Percy locomotive approaches the Oigawa First Bridge on June 13.*

*The Thomas the Tank Engine train runs between Fukuyo and Owada stations on June 13.*

"I came because I love Thomas," said Riku Sugiyama, an 8-year-old elementary school student from Shizuoka Prefecture. "I also really like Oigawa Railway because it has so many old trains."

Percy is currently undergoing a scheduled inspection ahead of its planned return to service in late October.

Watch Thomas and Percy in action

A Heritage Railway Reimagined

The 39.5-kilometer (24.5 mi) Oigawa Main Line runs from Kanaya Station in Shimada to Senzu Station in Kawanehon. Thomas and Percy pull passenger trains between Shin-Kanaya Station and Kawaneonsen-Sasamado Station.

*The Thomas the Tank Engine train was created by modifying an existing C11-class steam locomotive. Although its exterior was altered, the locomotive's cab remains largely unchanged.*

*A rail worker shovels coal into the locomotive before departure at Shin-Kanaya Station.*

The railway revived steam locomotive operations in 1976—the first such revival in Japan—in response to the decline of its once-core freight business. The goal was to attract visitors while preserving the country's railway heritage.

In 2014, it became the first railway in Asia to operate a Thomas-themed train. Since then, fans from Japan and overseas have flocked to ride it, and the service has carried about 850,000 passengers.

*The Thomas the Tank Engine train approaches Kamio Station.*

*The Percy locomotive runs through tea fields near Nukuri Station on June 13.*

A Dream Decades in the Making

Tatsuya Hisaoka, 70, who oversaw the Thomas the Tank Engine license at Sony Creative Products, the franchise's Japanese licensing agency, recalled:

"There had been talk for about 30 years of bringing Thomas to Oigawa Railway because of its experience operating steam locomotives and its beautiful natural scenery. After many rounds of negotiations, that dream finally became a reality. It's wonderful to see so many families visiting just to ride the Thomas train."

*Families enjoy a ride inside the Thomas the Tank Engine train.*

*A mother and child enjoy a ride on the Thomas the Tank Engine train on June 14.*

Hisaoka said his father worked for the former Japanese National Railways, making steam locomotives a familiar part of his childhood.

Part of the line has remained closed since Tropical Storm Talas struck in September 2022, leaving the 19.5-kilometer (12.1-mi) section between Kawaneonsen-Sasamado Station and Senzu Station out of service. The railway aims to reopen the route in spring 2029, but restoration is expected to cost about ¥2.1 billion ($13 million).

As the railway works to fully restore the line, the Thomas franchise, with its large global fanbase, will remain an indispensable draw.