The Post Office Railway, also known as Mail Rail, was a narrow gauge driverless private underground railway in London built by the Post Office to move mail between sorting offices. Inspired by the Chicago Tunnel Company, it was in operation from 1927 until 2003. Narrow-gauge railways are railroads (railways) with track spaced at less than the standard gauge of 4 ft 8 in (1. ... Metro is: a general term, synonymous with rapid transit, subway or underground, for an urban underground rail public transit system (see list of rapid transit systems); any of several specific public transport systems, including: Bi-State Development Agency in Missouri and Illinois, d/b/a Metro since 2003 Buffalo Metro... London (pronounced ) is the capital city of England and of the United Kingdom. ... The Post Office in Oxford. ... Pre-1910 photograph of the Chicago Freight Subway The Chicago Freight Subway was a unique freight tunnel network under the downtown of the city of Chicago. ... 1927 (MCMXXVII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

It ran east-west from Paddington Head District Sorting Office in the west to the Eastern Head District Sorting Office at Whitechapel in the east, a distance of 6.5 miles (10.5 km). It had eight stations, but by 2003 only three stations remained in use because the sorting offices above the other stations had been relocated. Paddington is an area in the west of London in the City of Westminster. ... The system of London postal districts predate the introduction of postcodes throughout the United Kingdom in the 1960s and have been adapted over time. ... The system of London postal districts predate the introduction of postcodes throughout the United Kingdom in the 1960s and have been adapted over time. ... Whitechapel is a place in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, United Kingdom. ... A mile is the name of a unit of length, usually used to measure distance, in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ... km redirects here. ...

A Royal Mail press release in April 2003 revealed that the system would be closed and "mothballed" (i.e. removed from active service) at the end of May that year. Royal Mail had earlier stated that using the Post Office Railway was five times more expensive than using road transport for the same task. The Communication Workers Union claimed the actual figure was closer to three times more expensive but argued that this was the result of a deliberate policy of running the system down and using it at only one-third of its capacity. Despite a report by the Greater London Authority in support of the continued use of Mail Rail, the system was taken out of use in the early hours of 31 May 2003. Royal Mails logo Royal Mail is the national postal service of the United Kingdom. ... The Communication Workers Union is the main trade union in the United Kingdom for people working for telephone, cable and postal delivery companies, with 300,000 members. ... For more coverage on London, see the London Portal. ... May 31 is the 151st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (152nd in leap years), with 214 days remaining. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Some of the former Mail Rail trains have now taken up residence at the Launceston Steam Railway [1]. The Launceston Steam Railway in Cornwall operates for 2 miles, on a 2ft (600mm) gauge. ...

The route of the proposed Crossrail link across London is similar to that of the Post Office railway, and therefore it could make sense for the Post Office railway tunnels to be expanded and used as a basis. However, the tunnels are much smaller, and it is unlikely that both the alignment and the depth will be suitable. For the similar scheme in Glasgow, see Glasgow Crossrail Crossrail is a project to build a new east-west railway connection under central London, with one connection to the west and two to the east. ...

Rolling stock

The London Post Office Railway used various types of rolling stock during its history. The first stock was delivered in 1926 with the opening of the system. All stock used has been electrically powered. Rolling Stock banner Rolling Stock was a newspaper of ideas and a chronicle of the 1980s published in Boulder, Colorado by Ed Dorn and Jennifer Dunbar Dorn. ... 1926 (MCMXXVI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ...

Electric locomotives

• 1926 Electric Locomotives — Original locomotives

Electric units

• 1927 Stock — Original stock
• 1930 & 1936 Stock — Replacement stock for 1927 Stock
• 1962 Stock — Prototype stock
• 1980 Stock — Replacement stock

The London Post Office Railway 1927 Stock was built by English Electric in 1927. ... The London Post Office Railway 1930 Stock and 1936 Stock was built by English Electric. ... The London Post Office Railway 1962 Stock was built by English Electric in 1962. ... The London Post Office Railway 1980 Stock was built by Hunslet in Leeds between 1980 and 1982. ...

See also

• Subterranean London
• List of British heritage and private railways
• Chicago Tunnel Company

The metropolis of London has been occupied for many centuries, and has acquired a number of subterranean landmarks. ... This list of British heritage and private railways is intended as a list of railways (railroads) in Britain. ... Pre-1910 photograph of the Chicago Freight Subway The Chicago Freight Subway was a unique freight tunnel network under the downtown of the city of Chicago. ...

External links

• Enthusiast Website Unofficial MailRail Web Page
• Alternative link London Post Office Railway
• Detailed information on construction and operation.
• Postal Heritage Trust page on Mail Rail.
• Guardian article on proposed mothballing.
• GLA report on the closure in PDF format.
• This is Local London news report on the closure.