Last Week Tonight host John Oliver on Sunday turned to what he described as the most disturbing episode ever of childrens TV to shine a light on the issues facing Americas rail freight industry.
Oliver aired clips from a 1984 episode of Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends, a British series later named Thomas & Friends. In the episode, a train named Henry ends up being bricked inside the tunnel he refuses to come out of over fears the rain will damage his paintwork to expose the effects that deregulation of railroads in the U.S. have had on workers and communities.
I love trains, Oliver emphasized during his deep dive into the topic, in which he noted that nasty derailments maybe shouldnt come as a surprise, given the widespread deregulation of the industry more than 40 years ago.
Oliver ended with a 2023 remake of the iconic Thomas & Friends show, which imagined what would happen if Henry were plying his trade in America today.
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