In the 1850’s, the post office realised it needed a quick way of transporting mail short distances between post offices, primarily in London. In 1853 the first ever so called “mail tube” went in to service. Although it was just over 200 metres long, it used the equivalent of a giant Vacuum cleaner to power the system and shoot the mail between depots. It was very successful. Over the next few years various forms of this system were built and tested, even to the point of carrying passengers!

The Post Office were so impressed by its success, that it set up a team to look at the possibilities of building a larger system between two of their buildings. This idea was dropped after they worked out the costs involved! Just a few years later in 1859 the Pneumatic Dispatch Company was formed, with the aim of building a system to carry parcels, goods and mail. The government gave the company the go ahead but under the terms of the agreement it had to be under the authorisation of the Post office. After building a test line at Battersea, the company went on to build a tube from their premises adjacent to the Post Office's, North Western District Office on to the Parcel office at Euston Station. Despite many problems with the system, a second line was built from Euston Station on to The General Post Office. All this time the Post Office would not guarantee any mail for the line. Eventually the Pneumatic Dispatch Company with little income was closed down in 1874. In 1899 another company, the London Dispatch Company, was formed with the idea of rescuing the abandoned lines, but this proved too costly and the tunnels were soon left abandoned. The tunnels were eventually used for carrying electricity and telephone cables.

Even back in the very early 1900's London had a very serious traffic problem and the Post Office soon realised the need of some type of system to transport mail between the major central London sorting offices. In 1908 a team of Post Office engineers visited similar system in America and Germany. Eventually in 1911 a plan was drawn up to build a subway system about six and a half miles long from Whitechapel to Paddington which would serve the main sorting offices on the route.

1915 saw the commencement of the construction of the tunnels but it was not until 1924 that track laying commenced and finally 1927 saw the finishing touches put to the railway, and the line was available for use for the Christmas parcel post. February 1928 saw the first letter post on the system.

When the Railway was first opened, it was controlled from control panels located in the inter-platform tunnels at the stations. These panels allowed trains to be shunted in the station, or routed straight on to the next station. This system ran for many years with great success.

1993 saw the installation of a £750,000 computer to take over control of the system from one central point. The “Vaughan” computer as it is known, directly interfaces with the existing control system. The computer system was bought into operation section by section, so as to allow the system to carry on operating as normal during the installation.

The computer can control the progress of each train on the system automatically. If needed the line controller can take control of any part of the system, and reroute trains as needed.

Unfortunately back in 1992, Royal Mail announced that unless they can find a new backer, the system will be facing closure in the near future.

Although Mail Rail is trying to find ideas on how to save the system, it is unlikely that the system will continue in its present form.

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