There's an underground railway (now disused) that runs from White Chapel to Paddington that was used for transporting mail across town. These photos are from the station at Mount Pleasant: http://www.flickr.com/photos/memespring/sets/72157594400450387/ (I work round teh corner at got to go on a school trip)
That would be the guy said it hasnt run at all for at least 2 years and that was for a documentary. They are trying to find new things to do with the line. One of which might be using it to cool down the Tube (they run very close in some places).
nice pics, i think there are more in ed's rail pics or at least some links, do you know when it stopped being used for mail, shame really eta: ah ha 2yrs ta
It was fucking criminal that they switched this service to the roads - just like the equally stupid decision to stop mail trains to save a few pennies.
totally agree, I bet that thing saved a fuckload of carbon emmisions everyday! ::Switches off Hippy mode::
I think the link has been posted here on Urban in another thread as I've read it recently. Very interesting though!
As far as I'm aware, some kind of plans have been submitted to turn part of it into public use. Yep, thanks Google http://www.gizmodo.co.uk/2013/10/the-royal-mails-underground-rail-network-may-be-reopening/
I went to a quiz at Mount Pleasant one night. I was hoping to see a postal sorting machine or the underground railway but instead it was just a conference centre called the Phoenix, not dissimilar to Phoenix Nights.
Apparently the Mail Rail is gonna be opened to the public very soon… http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-25145632
I would love to go look at that! Anyone seen that organisation called subterranea britannica that organise trips to stuff underground?
This thread was started in 2006, so if they do get it open in 2019, we're closer to that date than we are to the date the thread started.
I hope they've got the ticketing sorted out. Imagine the horror of...*gasp* freeloaders getting to ride on it!!
A timely bump. It looks like it's getting ready to open to the public from next summer from the Postal Museum (which was a great museum, not sure what it will be like when it reopens). Trains run on 'rail mail' underground line for first time in a decade
I was wondering how they were getting on with this ... "Mail Rail" ... I've seen one or two items of the original rolling stock, and the concept is/was most interesting. I shall have to visit (...gets 2017/8 year planners out)
I have just received an email stating more tickets released if anyone is interested. I've managed to book for 2 weeks time Postal Museum was certainly worth a visit in it's previous location; hopefully it is better in it's new location. Staff were brillaint, knowledgable and friendly.