After an eight-week break, Home and Away roared back onto Australian screens tonight — and it didn’t waste a moment answering the question that’s lingered since November. The long-teased fallout from the train derailment has finally been revealed, confirming which character lost their life as the drama resumes in 2026.
The episode picked up exactly where viewers were left hanging late last year, with a train carrying some of Summer Bay’s most familiar faces lying on its side just outside a tunnel. The journey was meant to be a celebration. Instead, it became one of the soap’s most confronting storylines in recent years.
The Train Trip That Turned Into Disaster
The ill-fated train was heading west to the Off the Rails music festival in Broken Hill — more than 1,000 kilometres from Summer Bay and close to the New South Wales–South Australia border. A special service had been organised to transport festivalgoers, collecting passengers from regional stations across the state before making the long trip inland.
Among those onboard were members of Remi Carter’s Back on Track record label. Remi (Adam Rowland) was travelling alongside his hype man Sonny (Ryan Bown), manager Justin Morgan (James Stewart), and new signing Eddie (Stephen Masden), who was set to perform his debut festival set.
They weren’t alone. Friends and loved ones joined the trip to support Eddie, including Dana (Ally Harris), Mackenzie (Emily Weir), Jo (Maddison Brown) and Lacey (Sophea Pennington).
Before departing Yabbie Creek Station, the group took part in a lively “platform party”, mingling with other festival attendees already picked up along the route. It was a carefree start — one that now feels painfully ironic.
New Faces and Tensions on Board
Abigail (Hailey Pinto) briefly joined the festivities but unexpectedly became part of the journey after drinking too much and waking up to find herself already on the moving train.
The platform party also introduced two newcomers: Holden Dwyer, played by Lach Millar, and his friend Isaac, portrayed by Jordan Dulieu.
During the trip, Isaac spent much of his time flirting with Mackenzie. She made it clear she was in a committed relationship with a surgeon boyfriend and that they were trying for a baby. Undeterred at first, Isaac then turned his attention to Lacey — only to be warned off by Holden — before trying his luck with Dana and being firmly shut down again.
By the time the train rolled deeper into regional NSW, Isaac had collected a string of rejections. None of the passengers had any idea how close they were to catastrophe.
A Proposal, Then Chaos
Just before everything went wrong, Eddie made a bold move. He dropped to one knee and proposed to Jo, hoping to rebuild their future two years after their breakup.
Jo, however, was conflicted. Still carrying feelings for Tane Parata (Ethan Browne), who remained safely in Summer Bay, she hesitated and couldn’t give Eddie an answer.
Moments later, the mood shifted dramatically. As the train approached a tunnel, a group of teenagers fled the tracks after spraying graffiti, leaving their bicycles scattered across the rails. The train struck the bikes and derailed, violently throwing passengers to the floor before crashing to a halt outside the tunnel.
When the season ended in November, viewers were left with every character’s condition unknown.
Weeks of Speculation — and a Grim Truth
Ahead of the finale, Maddison Brown told TV Week that not everyone would survive.
“We know someone dies, but we don’t know who,” she said at the time.
Fan speculation ran wild. Some suspected Eddie, noting actor Stephen Masden had not been seen filming at Palm Beach — the real-life location used for Summer Bay exteriors. Others questioned whether the show would put Jo and Lacey’s family through another tragedy, following the deaths of their mother Kristina two years earlier and Lacey’s boyfriend Theo in October.
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Another theory pointed to Isaac, whose unusually heavy screen time as a guest character raised eyebrows.
The Death Is Confirmed
Tonight’s return episode delivered the answer. Isaac was the one who didn’t make it.
As the episode opened, Remi and Dana regained consciousness inside the wreckage. Isaac was lying beside them. Dana checked for a pulse, then shared a silent look with Remi that confirmed the worst — Isaac had died.
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Outside the train, Holden managed to climb onto the roof, where rescuers found him with a shoulder injury but otherwise stable. As more passengers escaped the tunnel, Holden asked Lacey if she had seen Isaac. Dana overheard and was forced to deliver the devastating news.
Multiple Lives Still at Risk
While Isaac was the only confirmed fatality, the danger was far from over.
Jo, Justin and Sonny were all seriously injured. Justin was rushed to Northern Districts Hospital with internal bleeding, while Sonny told Remi he could no longer feel his legs.
After learning Jo was trapped inside the carriage, Tane and Levi Fowler (Tristan Gorey) ignored police instructions and entered the tunnel from the opposite end to help. Inside, Eddie was unharmed and searching for Jo, who was pinned under debris after part of the roof collapsed.
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Levi warned that Jo was likely suffering from crush syndrome and needed urgent action. When rescue leaders blocked him from re-entering the tunnel, he ordered Tane to get Jo out immediately.
As Tane and Eddie tried to move the wreckage, the carriage shifted again. More debris fell — and Eddie fled, leaving Jo and Tane behind.
What Happens Next
The episode ended on a tense cliffhanger, though previews have already confirmed Tane successfully frees Jo. TV Week reports that once outside, Jo’s condition worsens and she goes into cardiac arrest — but she survives.
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All current full-time cast members are believed to still be filming, meaning no further major deaths are expected from the crash. Still, Eddie’s decision to abandon Jo and Tane may have lasting consequences, and his future in Summer Bay looks far from secure.
For Australian viewers, the 2026 season has begun with high stakes, emotional fallout and a reminder that Home and Away isn’t afraid to shake things up — even when it means saying goodbye.