Thomas the Tank Engine's new international friends Ashima of India

Ashima “shows no fear” and is “happy to help out.” According to Vincent D’Alleva, who oversees the show Thomas & Friends: “She is the first one who can take on Thomas in terms of being the fastest engine. It’s not a romance story because, well, that’s not something for our target audience. But it is about developing a relationship. How does Thomas develop a relationship with someone who looks very different from him and in some cases can do things better than he can?”