’You don’t have to walk all the way back up, we can get the Noddy Train, but I thought you liked walking?’

John’s parents and his children all looked relieved.

‘We aren’t as young as we were and what with my knee and your father’s hip…’

‘And this bitter wind coming straight off the sea’ added John’s father.

‘Can we still have hot chocolate Daddy?’

‘That’s usually the bribery to get them back up to the café’ said John.

‘I think we all need hot chocolate,’ said his mother ‘I hope that café is still open.’

‘With marshmallows and cream?’ said Johnny Junior.

‘And a cake’ added his sister.

‘We must not spoil your appetites for that delicious dinner your Mummy is cooking for us.’

‘All that lovely sea air has sharpened our appetites’ said their grandfather, wrapping his scarf tighter.

Squeezed in one of the little carriages of the road train everyone brightened up and John’s mother recalled his favourite book.

‘I bought it at a jumble sale, The Runaway Train. I had to read it over and over to your Daddy. The train was meant to take all the office workers up to London on Monday morning, but the train was fed up with the same old journey every day and decided to go to the seaside instead. The passengers didn’t notice what was happening at first, too busy reading their newspapers. That was long before mobile phones were invented and everybody read great big newspapers.  Then a few people looked at their watches, glanced out the window and wondered why they were seeing cows in the field instead of Clapham Junction! Soon all the passengers were muttering to each other as the train went faster and faster. The sky was blue, the sun was shining and they passed farms and cottages and hills. Nobody was sure what to do, one man pulled the communication cord with the notice that said emergency use only, but the train did not slow down.

‘Oh that would be fun,’ squealed the children ‘what happened in the end?’

‘Gradually the train slowed down and one of the passengers said Good Heavens, I can see the sea! Soon the train came to a halt in a lovely little station with flower tubs. Everyone got off to see what had happened and a very important and cross looking man marched along the platform to the driver’s cab, but there was no driver. They all stood on the platform scratching their heads and mumbling about getting to the office. Then someone started laughing and pointing to golden sands and the glittering sea… We will never get to work on time so let’s go to the beach instead.

Gradually they all wandered onto the beach and some took off their shoes, rolled up their trousers and started paddling, while others went to buy ice creams and fish and chips.

After a fantastic day, with everyone having fun and agreeing it was much better than going to work, they thought it must be time to go home. At the station the engine had turned itself around on the turntable and was steaming up so they got on board…’

‘Have you still got that book Daddy?’

‘No, that was a long time ago, but maybe that’s why I always wanted to live at the seaside and not work in an office.’

As the road train trundled up towards the café Johnny Junior said ‘Maybe this train is fed up with never going anywhere except back and forth to the beach, maybe it wants to go to London.’

They all laughed as the train drew up by the café and the driver climbed out of his cab to see if anyone needed help getting out. But before John had even opened the door of their carriage, the train started moving again, faster and faster. The last thing the family saw was a surprised look on the driver’s face as he tried to run after the train, but it was going much too fast.

‘Hurrah said,’ Johnny Junior ‘I told you the train was fed up, we’re going on an adventure.’

‘Can’t you do something John.’

‘Don’t worry mother, just a technical hitch, the battery will run down soon and the driver will have called for a mechanic.’

‘When can I have my hot chocolate Daddy?’

They drove down a pleasant avenue with pretty gardens and a few people waved to them. The children waved back. Then the Noddy Train turned right onto a busy road on a steep hill. As the train headed downhill they went faster and faster. Horns were tooting and they heard a siren in the distance. Even little Johnny was beginning to feel scared.

‘And finally tonight police are still searching for a seaside road train, known locally as the Noddy Train and apparently hijacked from a local beauty spot. Our reporter spoke to the shocked driver.’

‘I had just alighted from the train to help a disabled passenger disembark when it started moving. I had left the brakes on, it was on level ground and nobody had got into my cab. I tried to get back to my cab, but it was going much faster than it is capable of. None of this makes sense. Not a single passenger had managed to alight.’

‘Can you reassure family and friends that the passengers will be safe?’

‘No.’

‘Hmm, back to the newsroom to see if there is any update.’

‘The last sighting was junction 67 of the motorway an hour ago. Police are sure there will be drivers who have captured images on their dash cams. In the meantime there is a helpline if you are worried about relatives who may be on board.’