London’s newest attraction, Mail Rail, delivers
LONDON — In 1913, the British Post Office realized that London’s congested traffic was slowing down mail delivery. That year, Parliament approved building the Post Office Railway, as it was officially known, and full operation began in 1927.
London now had a 6.5mile-long tunnel and train system under its streets, wending all the way from Whitechapel in the east to the Paddington rail station in the west, connecting the city’s various mainline rail stations with mail sorting offices along the way.
For 76 years from its completion until, in 2003, when the Post Office decided it was too expensive to operate, Mail Rail, as it was eventually called, sped mail deliveries, operating almost 24 hours a day, with miniature trains shuttling back and forth along the tracks, depositing and picking up letters and packages.
This fall, with the opening of London’s new Post Office Museum nearby, those looking for a truly unusual and memorable experience in London can hop aboard the newly refurbished system.
Mail Rail’s rolling stock could be mistaken for a ride at a Disney park. The passenger cars are small in order to fit through the narrow tunnels (some are just 7 feet in diameter). Anyone suffering from claustrophobia might think twice.
Once on board, I listened to an audio-visual narration by former Mail Rail engineers and technicians, as well as some history about the British Post Office.
The ride lasts about 20 minutes, with stops along the way at several stations. Top speed is 7.5 mph.
Reserved tickets for Mail Rail have sold out until early December, at this writing, so it’s best to plan ahead. But a limited number of walk-up tickets are available each day at 10 a.m.;