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There is a veritable city’s worth of tunnels underneath London. Many of these tunnels are secret tunnels, decommissioned military tunnels, decommissioned subway tunnels, postal tunnels, and much more. No one knows the full extent of the tunnels under London. It is possible to get guided tours of some of the old subway tunnels of London.
There are old postal tunnels to explore under London. The Post Office Railway – called the Mail Rail – is a narrow gauge underground railway built by the Post Office. It was built to easily transport mail between the Post Office’s sorting offices, although these days it serves the amusement of tourists.
Mail Rail Train In London
The Mail Rail In London: The History Of London’s Century-Old Mail Rail, From Construction To Museum
The Post Office Railway was inspired by the Chicago Tunnel Company – those 2-foot narrow gauge freight tunnels are now sealed up, however. They were first opened in 1927, and they operated for 76 years until 2003 – it seems emails don’t need to be transported on 2-foot narrow gauge underground trains anymore.
Construction of the tunnels commenced in 1915 (during WW1), and by 1917, the work was suspended on account of a shortage of materials and labor. It wasn’t until 1924 that the tracks were started to be laid, and the first section opened in 1927. The main tube or tunnel was built around 70 feet below the surface.
- Gauge: 2 foot
- Operated: 1927 to 2003
- Length: 6.5 Miles or 10.5 kilometers
- Route: Paddington Head District Sorting Office to Eastern Head District Sorting Office At Whitechapel
It was built to bypass the traffic delays that were happening on the surface that were causing unacceptable delays.
Abandoned Rail Tunnel
The postal tunnel runs from Paddington to Whitechapel. Once upon a time, the trains were in service 22 hours a day
The Mail Rail was 6.5 miles long and had eight stations along the track. The largest of those stations was under Mount Pleasant. By the time the Mail Rail was retired in 2003, only three of those stations were still in use.
Plan A Visit To The Post Office Railway Museum
These days, the Post Office Railway is open as a museum, which opened there in 2017. The museum is a great family-friendly attraction that demonstrates how the rise of the postal service revolutionized lives. The cherry on top of visiting the Post Office Railway is taking the Mail Rail through the old stations and tunnels.
Admission Fees (Online Price):
- Adult: £16 ($20) – Aged 25 Plus
- Young Person: £11 – Aged 16 to 24
- Child: £9 – Aged 3 to 15
The Gherkin dotting the Big Smoke’s skyline.
The museum displays the history of the postal service in London from Victorian Valentine cards to moving letters using the World Wars. It offers a great glimpse into the history of the City of London. At the start of the post office’s history, London was the center of the largest empire the world had ever known. By the time the Rail Tunnel had closed, London was the modern city seen today.
While the Mail Rail is included on the ticket, another part of the museum – the Postal Play Space – requires a separate ticket.
- London Mail Rail Museum Operating Times: 10.00 am to 3.50 pm Wednesday To Sunday
Facilities of the museum include a cafe, free WiFi, restrooms, and others.
What To Know About Riding The Miniature Mail Rail
Jump on the miniature train built to travel through the tunnels of London underneath the Mount Pleasant sorting office. The ride on the Mail Rail train is included with the admission ticket to the museum. The ride offers a ride back into the history of the Royal Mail under the streets of London.
- Operating Times: 10.00 am to 3.50 pm Wednesday To Sunday
- Age Group: All Ages
Book online in advance for a better price and to guarantee entry.
Busy streets and Big Ben during sunset in London, United Kingdom
The Mail Rail ride is not the sort of ride many people may be used to. The Mail Rail was designed to carry mail – not people. So the ride is a little bit squishy. The seats do not allow for a lot of legroom and passengers sit shoulder to shoulder two abreast.
The Mail Rail at the postal museum might not be suitable for those with limited mobility (there is an elevator to the lower level, though). The rides last for 15 minutes (including boarding and disembarking times). The ride includes periods of pitch-black darkness, loud noises, and flashing lights. The maximum speed of the Mail Rail is 7.5 mph or 12 km/h.
Another leading underground historic attraction in London is the Churchill War Rooms, where visitors can see where one of the foremost operational centers of the largest war in history was located. The funnier and spookier side of underground London can be experienced at the London Dungeon, where people can experience 1,000 years of the darker side of London’s history.
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