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London is famous for its subsurface locomotives. The Underground network is, of course, known all over the world. But there is another network of tracks beneath the capital that are relatively unknown. On them runs a tiny train with a fascinating history.
The Mail Rail is a small railway network that was designed to transport letters and packages. It was built by the Post Office, assisted by the Underground Electric Railways Company of London, to transport mail between sorting offices.
It was inspired by the Chicago Tunnel Company, and opened in 1927. The network then operated for 76 years until it closed in 2003.
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The line ran from Paddington Head District Sorting Office to the Eastern Head District Sorting Office in Whitechapel. This was a distance of 6.5 miles.
It had eight stations, the largest of which was underneath Mount Pleasant. However, by 2003 only three stations remained in use. This is because the sorting offices above the other stations had been relocated.
(Image: Jack Taylor/Getty Images)
System became too expensive
By the end, Royal Mail officials said that using the railway was five times more expensive than using road transport for the same task. Earlier this summer, this was discussed again as the firm announced it was to stop using its countrywide above-ground trains to transport post after almost 200 years.
Royal Mail confirmed the move in July, saying it would decommission its remaining freight trains by 10 October. It plans to increase the amount of post it moves by road instead. In September 2017, a museum on the site of London’s Mail Rail was opened.
You can book tickets to ride on the Mail Rail at the Postal Museum here. They cost £17.60 for an adult aged 25 or over or £12.20 if you are 16-24. It’s £10 for children aged 3 to 15 and free for under 3s. The ride lasts about 15 minutes and includes some pitch darkness, loud noises and flashing lights.
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