In short, they've decided to add nig-nog and female trains.
What's that? Who's "they" you ask?
Quote from: MSM(((Kate Schlomann))), a vice president of branding at Mattel, said: "It's such a huge shift. We want to make sure we're here another 70 years."
Nia, an engine from Kenya, will make her debut next summer in the movie Big World! Big Adventures! before joining the TV series in Autumn.
Experts at the UN advised producers with Nia's name — meaning "purpose" in Swahili — and helped select the African pattern that runs across her body.
Schlomann said: "When you're designing an engine from any country, you want to be spot on."
http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/parenting/kids/thomas-the-tank-engine-to-receive-diverse-makeover/news-story/4d540f6c799d35c745e5aa223920091e