Mail Rail

The Post Office Railway, when it started running

in 1927, was the first fully automated driverless railway in the world, a full

forty years before the Victoria Line started service in London in 1967. The

railway below London became the main means of moving mail, with Mount Pleasant

being the hub of the distribution system. Linking with London's main line

stations most of the country's long-distance mail travelled via the Post Office

Railway.

The fascinating story of how it began, how it

was built, and why it closed is told here in an accessible way that tries to

cover a highly technical and innovative system in a way that is easy to

understand.

The railway closed in 2003, but that was not

the end of the story. The Postal Museum

took over part of the Mount Pleasant sorting office to tell the story of 500

years of postal history and to open Mail Rail again with specially built trains

as a visitor attraction and the start of a whole new adventure.

If you are a railway enthusiast,

postal enthusiast, urban explorer or just interested in finding out more about

one of London's best-kept secrets this book is a must read for you.