The
Mail Rail, a little-known underground railway running beneath the streets of
London, will open to the public in early 2017 as part of a new Postal Museum.
 |
The Mail Rail, a little-known underground railway running
beneath the streets of London, will open to the public in early 2017 as part of
a new Postal Museum.
|
The
railway, which began operation in 1927, was the world's first driverless,
electric railway, linking
sorting offices from Paddington to Whitechapel. It closed in 2003 as the
sorting offices it served were sold off, but after years of fundraising it is
set to open to the public for the first time.
Two
new Mail Rail trains will be built to carry passengers 1km into the network on
a loop from the new Postal Museum near the Royal Mail sorting office at
Mount Pleasant.
Visitors
to the underground railway, which lies about 70 feet below the streets of London, will spend around 15 minutes
on trains following a small loop of the much larger network. The trains aren't
able to venture any further into the tunnels due to a lack of fire exits.
During
the ride, a fake power cut will be accompanied by stories and sounds of those
who worked on the network. On the platforms video projection mapping will be
used to tell more of the railway's history.
Historian
and broadcaster Dan Snow said the history of the Royal Mail was that of
"the most important social network in the history of the world".
"This
is a stunning part of our industrial heritage," he added, before literally
taking a sledgehammer to a wall as part of the symbolic groundbreaking
ceremony. Work will now start to transform the abandoned Mail Rail into an
attraction that hopes to draw 180,000 people a year.
To
date, £26 million has been raised to complete the refit. Those wishing to
donate to the project in a more unique way can pay £250 to have their name
placed on one of the new sleepers that will support the tracks.
The Postal Museum, which
will be situated across the road from the Mail Rail, will track the full 500
year history of Britain's postal network, from the first Postmaster General
appointed by Henry VIII to the present day service.
Items
on show will include the only remaining full sheets of Penny Black stamps in
the world and the first ever pillar box, built in 1857 and coloured red rather
than green.
A
basic ticket, granting entry to the Postal Museum and Mail Rail exhibition will
cost £9. Those wishing to ride the Mail Rail train will have to buy a full
ticket, priced at £14.50 for adults.
Since
it closed in 2003 the Mail Rail has been left almost untouched. In recent years
just three engineers have maintained the network, a huge change from what was
once a bustling part of London's postal service.
The
new Postal Museum and Mail Rail will open in early 2017.
