Mail train london underground
The Mail Train on the London Underground!
The Mail Train, also known as the "Mail Rail" or "Post Office Railway", was a unique railway system that operated beneath the streets of London from 1927 to 2003. Its primary purpose was to transport mail and parcels between the General Post Office (GPO) sorting offices and the main post office in London.
Here are some interesting facts about the Mail Train:
- Unique railway: The Mail Train was a separate railway system, not part of the London Underground network. It had its own tracks, stations, and rolling stock.
- Underground tunnels: The railway system consisted of 6.5 miles (10.5 km) of tunnels, with 22 stations, stretching from Paddington to Whitechapel.
- Electric traction: The trains were electric, with a top speed of 30 mph (48 km/h).
- Specialized trains: The Mail Train had its own fleet of trains, designed specifically for carrying mail and parcels. Each train had 16 cars, with a capacity of 20 tons of mail.
- Automated operation: The railway was fully automated, with no human operators on board. The trains were controlled remotely from the GPO's control center.
- Peak operation: During peak hours, the Mail Train carried over 4 million items of mail and parcels per day.
- Decline and closure: With the advent of modern sorting technology and the decline of traditional mail, the Mail Train's usage decreased significantly. The railway was eventually closed in 2003, with the last train running on July 31st of that year.
Today, the Mail Train's tunnels and stations are largely abandoned, although some sections have been repurposed as part of the London Underground's infrastructure. The legacy of the Mail Train remains an interesting footnote in the history of London's transportation network.