Mattel Television is expanding the scope of its Thomas franchise with a 60-minute holiday special called Thomas & Friends: The Christmas Letter Express.

This one-off is slated for a Netflix debut on November 21 as part of the upcoming 27th season of Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go (pictured), which Mattel co-produces with Nelvana Studios in Toronto.

Season 27 will roll out in two 13 x 11-minute parts on the streamer’s US service and in other markets including Canada, Spain, South Africa, India and Singapore—the first half launches next month, followed by the second half in September. In terms of linear broadcasting, Milkshake and Nick Jr. will premiere the new installment in the UK, along with Cartoonito (Italy), Treehouse (Canada), Televisa (Mexico) and SBT (Brazil).

The Christmas Letter Express marks the first holiday special for the 2D-animated iteration of this legacy IP, which switched from its original CG-animated style when it premiered on Cartoonito in 2021. The story is all about Percy’s mission to track down Santa after he discovers a child’s letter that was accidentally left in his mail cart on Christmas Eve. Rick Suvalle (Dew Drop Diaries) penned the script, and the one-off will feature three original holiday songs.

Thomas the Tank Engine originated in 1945 as a character featured in a series of British Railway books by Wilbert Awdry. It went on to spawn a rich evergreen franchise that encompasses multiple kids TV series, toy ranges, books and live events.