Thomas’ Shortcut

**Thomas' Shortcut** is the twenty-fifth and final episode of the eleventh season and the 255th episode overall.

## Plot

Thomas is puffing along his branch line, when Bertie pulls up alongside him and teases him by calling him "Slow Coach." Thomas then gets cross and decides to go faster. Thomas arrives at Hackenbeck Station two minutes early. Bertie tells him that he would have been late unless he had hurried him. Thomas disagrees, as he always gets his passengers to the station on time, yet Bertie seems to always be beating Thomas to the level crossing, so the engine and bus decide to race again. Sometimes when they race, Bertie is quicker, especially when Thomas has to stop for sheep on the line and sometimes Thomas is quicker, especially when Bertie has to stop for road maintenance.

Thomas gets closer and closer to the level crossing, thinking he is going to win, when suddenly, the gates open and Bertie zooms through. Later, the two friends are at Hackenbeck Station, when Bertie reveals that he has been rerouted, so now he takes a shortcut, which is why he is always winning the races. That night at Ffarquhar Sheds, Thomas tells Percy about Bertie being rerouted and Percy tells him that maybe he should take a shortcut too and Thomas thinks that is a great idea. The next day, Thomas sets off on his branch line, looking for a shortcut, when he comes to a junction, where the points have already been switched. Thomas puffs onto the track, only to find himself coming back out onto his branch line.

Thomas comes to another junction, where he once again puffs onto the track there. However, this time he ends up in an old siding. The passengers are cross, but Thomas keeps looking. Soon, he comes up to yet another junction, with a track leading right to Ffarquhar Quarry. Thomas thinks that this must be a shortcut and once again, he puffs onto the track there. Meanwhile, Bertie is waiting impatiently at the level crossing and decides to take off. Thomas continues puffing along the quarry tramroad, which is leading him to a destination, when suddenly, Thomas crashes on a badly paved crossing, where he finds himself dangling over the road. The passengers are very disappointed, as now they will be late.

Just then, Bertie pulls up right by him and offers to take Thomas' passengers for him. The passengers agree and they all board Bertie, who then sets off immediately. It is sundown when Harvey arrives to lift Thomas back onto the rails. The Fat Controller arrives as well, who scolds Thomas for making his passengers late. Thomas promises to stick to his branch line from now on. A few days later, Thomas is back and Annie and Clarabel are delighted to see him. Bertie races away and calls him "Slow Coach" again. Thomas and Bertie still like to have races and sometimes Thomas even wins.

## Characters

* Thomas
* Percy
* Toby
* Annie and Clarabel
* Bertie
* The Fat Controller
* Harvey *(does not speak)*

## Locations

* Dryaw
* Hackenbeck
* Ffarquhar Sheds
* Ffarquhar
* Elsbridge
* Maithwaite
* The Quarry Tramroad

## Voice Cast

* Ben Small as Thomas
* Keith Wickham as Percy, Bertie and the Fat Controller
* Teresa Gallagher as Annie and Clarabel

## Trivia

This episode marks:

* The fourth time Thomas and Bertie are seen racing, the first being Thomas and Bertie, the second being Harold and the Flying Horse, and the third being Three Cheers for Thomas.
* The fourth time Bertie takes Thomas' passengers, the first being Thomas, Terence and the Snow, the second being Bertie's Chase, and the third being Thomas Gets Bumped.