The animated series "Chuggington," which celebrated its 15th anniversary of terrestrial broadcasting in April this year, has announced that its first new series in about 12 years, Season 4, will begin airing on Fuji TV and other stations on January 11, 2026. Five new characters will be introduced, with voice actor Yuki Kaji playing the new character leader Skipper and Hiro Shimono playing Hamish, who supports the leader.
"Chuggington" is a globally popular CG animated train series for children. Set in the town of Chuggington, it tells the heartwarming story of three young trainees, Wilson, Brewster, and Coco, who grow and deepen their bonds through life and work in the town. In Japan, the series first aired on BS Fuji in 2009. It began airing on terrestrial television in 2010, with season 2 airing in 2011 and season 3 in 2014.
In the new series, in addition to the town of Chuggington, the port will also be a new setting. Up until now, in addition to the three train apprentices Wilson, Brewster and Coco, the main characters, about 30 unique companions have appeared, but in the new series, five new characters will be introduced: Skipper, Hamish, Henry and Russ, who work at the port, and Daily, a delivery professional. As they meet their new companions, the main characters Wilson, Brewster and Coco will gain even more experience and unfold a story of adventure and friendship.
The cast members who will play new characters include Kaji as Skipper, Shimono as Hamish, Tamai Yuki as Henry, Fukuhara Katsumi as Russ, and Yanagida Junichi as Daily. Continuing from the previous series, Kobayashi Yumiko will play Wilson, Nonaka Ai as Coco, Sato Rina as Bluestar, and Haida Shoko as Air Traffic Controller Vee.
Kaji, who plays Skipper, commented, "I have a small child myself, and I feel the influence of children's shows on a daily basis, so I was very happy to be able to be involved in 'Chuggington' as a voice actor. Also, as 'Chuggington' has been on air for 15 years, I felt very honored to be connected at such a happy milestone."
After finishing the recording, he said, "In the original British version, Skipper has a somewhat calm and mellow voice, so at the beginning of the dubbing I checked with the sound director whether I should keep the original voice in mind or the character's personality. He said, 'It would be good to consider the balance in the dubbed version,' so I started with a test and tried to act the way I wanted, based on the character's nuances that I got from him. Thankfully, I got the OK right away. So, after that there were no more tests and we just started recording for real (laughs). I was a little nervous, but it turned out to be much smoother than I expected, so I feel that Skipper was a role that suited me well."
Shimono, who plays Hamish, commented, "I never thought I'd be able to appear in 'Chuggington,' so I was happy to be able to appear and to be able to take part in this memorable 15th anniversary year. Among the many cute characters, Hamish, whom I voice, is a character characterized by his low yet powerful voice, which I thought was also fun to play."
After finishing the recording, he said, "Although I recorded alone this time, I think it went smoothly. There were scenes where I sang along to the rhythm, but as I listened to the voices of the other characters, I acted while thinking, 'I'm not alone!' (laughs). There were also scenes where I was instructed to 'match my voice' with my partner Henry and various other characters, so I acted in sync with my friends on screen. I'm looking forward to seeing how it turns out."
Kobayashi, who plays Wilson, commented, "It's like a dream to be able to meet Wilson and the Chuggington gang again, and I'm so happy! I hope that everyone who watched Chuggington as a child, and everyone who will be watching it in the future, will once again enjoy the world of Chuggington with Wilson and his new friends, now a slightly more mature member of the Chug Patrol! Let's ride!"
Nonaka, who plays Coco, said, "When I heard I would be playing Coco again, I was so happy and my heart was filled with emotion. I feel blessed to be able to breathe life into Coco again in the new series. Over the past 12 years, I have also become a mother, and I feel like I am now able to act while imagining the faces of my children more. I hope that you will continue to cherish the same energetic Coco as before, but also see that she has grown a little. The new series is full of fun challenges and heartwarming stories for Coco and her friends, so I hope that the whole family will enjoy it together. I hope you will continue to support Chuggington!"
Sato, who plays Blue Star, said, "A new series after 12 years?! What a surprise! From the first episode, Blue Star and the others have become more capable and have become more reliable. Their hard work and dedication is dazzling and adorable. Please also pay attention to the songs of the Chug Engineers and the Chuggers! Those who watched Chuggington when it first aired have now all grown into big brothers and sisters. I am deeply moved and happy to be able to walk this path with so many viewers. I hope you will continue to support 'Chuggington'!"
Haida, who plays Vee, commented, "I'm very happy to have been asked to take part in the new series again. When I did the voice recording for the first time 12 years ago, I was very nervous, but this time I was able to work in the same studio with the same director, which brought back many memories and made the recording fun. I'm sure there are many people who have been looking forward to the new series of Chuggington!! Please continue to support the new series of Chuggington!! A new story is about to begin!!"
"GO! GO! Chuggington" is currently being broadcast every Sunday at 6:15 a.m. on Fuji TV and other channels.
