Located deep under the streets of London, a 6.5 mile train system known as ‘Mail Rail’ was once used to shuttle post between the capital’s major sorting offices. The railway tunnels have been out of service since 2003, but plans are in the works to re-open part of the network as a new London tourist attraction.
First opened for service in 1927, the old Post Office Underground Railway ran a series of fully electrified, driverless trains on its tracks transporting up to 4 million letters every day to six different sorting stations located between Whitechapel and Paddington. The British Postal Museum & Archive was recently given approval to re-open and develop a section of the abandoned tunnels as a new tourist attraction allowing public access to the site for the first time in its history. Visitors will be able to ride as passengers on the miniature trains while learning about the history of the Post Office in a newly created exhibition space. The development will also include an event space for functions and conferences and a Family Zone for children. A major fundraising campaign is currently underway with hopes for opening in 2020.