PBS Kids is moving HIT Entertainment’s “Thomas & Friends” to its daily schedule beginning this October, taking the series from weekend syndication into national distribution.

To support the move, PBS Kids is adding a dedicated Thomas & Friends area to its website and beginning in August, will feature the series on its online video player and video app.

The schedule move will take place this fall as an all-new season CG-animated series hits the airwaves, alongside the 60-minute movie special, King of the Railway.

“From its roots in publishing when the Rev. W. Awdry wrote The Railway Series, Thomas & Friends has always been brought to life in the hearts and imaginations of preschoolers with great characters and stories,” says Claudia Scott-Hansen, group director, broadcast Americas, HIT Entertainment. “We are so pleased to partner with PBS Kids to bring the adventures of Thomas and his engine friends to nearly every U.S. household five days a week. The popularity of the ‘Thomas & Friends’ series is at an all-time high, and we expect this move to continue the momentum of the brand.”