The Thomas & Friends CGI movie Hero of the Rails was released in 2009.
Thomas & Friends: Hero of the Rails is a British animated adventure film and the third feature-length special based on the television series. Produced by HIT Entertainment with animation from Canada’s Nitrogen Studios, it marked a major technical transition: the franchise moved from the live-action model format to full computer animation.
The story follows Thomas after he discovers Hiro, a long-lost engine from Japan, in the woods on Sodor. Thomas secretly tries to restore Hiro, while the proud engine Spencer creates complications. The special also introduced a full voice cast for the principal engines alongside the established narration format.
The year can sometimes cause confusion because the film had different release dates in different markets. It premiered in the United States on September 8, 2009, and was released direct-to-video in the United Kingdom on October 12, 2009. Both dates belong to the same 2009 release year.