Visitors can now see the tunnels of the old Post Office Railway as part of a new attraction in the heart of London
From 4 September visitors will be able to experience one of London’s ‘hidden railways’ by taking a ride through the tunnels of the former Mail Rail system. Closed in 2003, the Post Office’s underground railway conveyed letters and parcels beneath the capital for over 75 years.
Now, in conjunction with The Postal Museum, it is set to become a leading visitor attraction. Visitors will be able to see the old engineering depot for Mail Rail at Mount Pleasant in Clerkenwell, before taking a 1km ride through some of the old tunnels. The ride is an audio-visual experience, with commentary describing the system’s history and videos showing how it changed through the years.
HISTORY
Work began on the Post Office underground railway in 1914. The tunnels are 20 metres below ground and linked major sorting Offices with main line railway stations, stretching from Paddington to Whitechapel. After wartime delays the railway opened in 1927, and at the time it was the first entirely automatic driverless railway in the world. It was modernised in the 1980s with an updated design of train and a new computeris…
