London Post Office Railway

The Post Office Railway, now known as Mail Rail, is a narrow-gauge underground railway beneath London. Built to carry mail between sorting offices, it opened in 1927 and ran for 76 years before closing in 2003. A one-kilometre section at Mount Pleasant was reopened for visitors in 2017 as part of the Postal Museum. The line once stretched 10.5 kilometres from Paddington to Whitechapel, passing under key areas like Oxford Circus and Selfridges. It had eight stations, with Mount Pleasant serving as the largest. The railway was designed to solve delays caused by road traffic congestion in the early 20th century. Construction began in 1915 using the Greathead shield system, with tunnels reaching depths of around 21 metres. Stations were built at shallower depths with gentle gradients to help trains slow and accelerate. The line carried up to four million letters and parcels daily at its peak. After closure, urban explorers found the tunnels largely intact, leading to their preservation and reuse. Visitors now ride restored trains through part of the original route beneath Mount Pleasant. The Postal Museum’s circular journey lasts about 15 minutes, offering a glimpse of the railway’s engineering. The museum itself holds over 198,000 visitors in its first year, with trains completing 9,000 trips. The surroundings include the depot and preserved infrastructure from the railway’s operational days. The experience combines history with a unique underground journey through London’s past.