The residents of Summer Bay are facing their most perilous moment yet as the long-running Australian drama Home and Away returns to screens this week, picking up directly from last year's devastating train crash cliffhanger. Perth-raised star Tristan Gorey promises audiences are in for "one hell of a ride."
No Escape from the Derailed Disaster
The 2025 season finale left multiple beloved characters in extreme jeopardy after a train bound for a music festival spectacularly derailed. Gorey, who plays Dr Levi Fowler, confirmed the chaos is far from over. "A lot of well-loved characters' lives are in danger," he warned. "This event is really a fork in the road for some, and the end of the road for others."
An official synopsis details the frantic rescue efforts, with the train's structure threatening to collapse. David (Jeremy Lindsay Taylor), Cash (Nicholas Cartwright), Levi (Tristan Gorey), and Tane (Ethan Browne) are all at the crash site, desperately trying to save lives while their own loved ones remain trapped inside the wreckage.
The passengers caught in the initial catastrophe included Justin, Mackenzie, Remi, Abigail, Dana, Sonny, Lacey, Jo, and Eddie. The show has confirmed that not everyone will emerge from the disaster unscathed.
An Ambitious and Chilling Production
Filmed on location in rural New South Wales during winter, the disaster sequences are among the most ambitious in the show's 38-year history. The production utilised a real train carriage, craned into position, and involved scores of extras playing passengers and emergency responders.
Gorey praised the locations and art departments for their phenomenal work in building the crash sets but highlighted one significant challenge: the bitter cold. "It was the dead of winter, so it was absolutely freezing," he recalled. "We had thermal blankets on, and several layers, but it was still freezing. We are set in Summer Bay—but there was nothing summer about it!"
Epic Year Ahead with Major Returns
The explosive start to 2026 is just the beginning of a massive year for the soap. In a major coup for fans, popular characters Brax (Stephen Peacocke) and Ricky (Bonnie Sveen) are set to return in a special storyline filmed in Western Australia last year.
Home and Away continues to be a ratings powerhouse for the Seven Network, with three million Australians tuning in each week. The movie-length 2025 finale featuring the train crash reached over 1.4 million viewers.
Julie McGauran, Seven's Director of Content, Scripted, said the show's popularity is a testament to the cast and crew who produce 230 episodes annually. "Home and Away fans are in for a big start to 2026, with the fate of many of Summer Bay's favourite residents hanging in the balance," she stated.
The drama resumes on Monday, January 19, at 7pm on Channel Seven.
