| London Post Office Railway | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Mail Rail trains at a platform | |
| Overview | |
| Status | Closed; partially re-opened as museum |
| Owner | Royal Mail |
| Locale | London, England |
| Termini |
|
| Stations | 9 |
| Service | |
| Type | Private industrial railway |
| Services | 1 |
| Depot(s) | Mount Pleasant |
| Rolling stock | 1980 Greenwood & Batley |
| History | |
| Opened | 3 December 1927 |
| Closed | 31 May 2003 |
| Technical | |
| Line length | 6.5 miles (10.5 km) |
| Track gauge | 2 ft (610 mm) |
| Loading gauge | Custom gauge |
| Electrification | 440 V DC Third rail |
| Operating speed | 40 mph (64 km/h) through core tunnels; 7 mph (11 km/h) through stations, platforms and loops |
| Highest elevation | 70 feet (21 m) below street level |
The Post Office Railway, known since 1987 as Mail Rail,[1] is a 2 ft (610 mm) narrow gauge, driverless underground railway in London that was built by the Post Office with assistance from the Underground Electric Railways Company of London, to transport mail between sorting offices. Inspired by the Chicago Tunnel Company,[2] it opened in 1927 and operated for 76 years until it closed in 2003.[3][4] A museum within the former railway was opened in September 2017.
- ^ "The Story of Mail Rail". The Postal Museum. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
- ^ Karslake, Colin. "Speeding London's Mail". MailRail.co.uk. Retrieved 19 August 2009.
- ^ Subterranean city: beneath the streets of London. Antony Clayton. 2000
- ^ "Final delivery for Mail Rail". This Is Local London. 30 May 2003. Archived from the original on 5 July 2009. Retrieved 19 August 2009.