It's hard to know where to start with this place. The once mythical underground railway network that linked up Royal Mail sorting offices in Paddington and Whitechapel via a 10.5km tunnel system underneath London. This write up is a little picture heavy I'm afraid, with ramblings and words I don't expect you to read.
It operated with driver-less trains, on 610mm gauge rails which were built by the Underground Electric Railways Company of London, also known for the Piccadilly, Northern and Bakerloo lines of the tube.
It's been the subject of many a conversation, as only a handful of people have been able to view the system illicitly since closure in 2003. First nailed by the LCC in 2011, with stories and blog posts filtering down and whetting appetites of all that heard about it. But with follow up reports of police busts and court cases it didn't ever seem like it would be do able again...
Which lasted all of about 2 years until the champs from the SNC blasted it out one night. This was a huge deal for the Mail Rail, it reignited people's interests and disproved the theory that the Mail Rail would never again fall.
The access used that night literally lasted a day. They tried to revisit the next night only to be thwarted by steel doors and security dogs. Which also happen to be two of my biggest dislikes in this world.
It's hard to know exactly what you're looking for when trying to find a way into a deep subterranean network of tunnels. The railway has 9 stations along its' route, originally all infused within a Royal Mail sorting office above, until inevitable cut backs and infrastructure closure meant that now only 4 actually connect to a functioning RM office.
Leaving 5 redundant sites, where either derelict sorting offices, renovated buildings or soon to be demolished buildings now sit. Since the original photos emerged from the place, and the following media coverage, Royal Mail now know their network is a target for illicit photographers like ourselves. They've taken heed of this and done an impressive job at keeping people out. Or so we thought...
However, in 2014 Mail Rail fell again. This time by BHG & Kev. This was fantastic news, and despite it evading us again it put rocket fuel in certain people's veins and access checks became much more frequent.
Back when I looked around the Kingsway Telephone Exchange, I wrote about what it's like to meet your idol. Or in our case, visit somewhere so sublime that you don't think it's possible to beat. This is one of those places, and even now months later it still sends a chill down my spine when I think about it, and raises a smile whenever I happen to travel passed one of the sorting offices.
"I've been in you, ya bugger."
I'd checked a few potential spots for Mail Rail in the past, but never gotten anywhere closer than some bricked off platforms with no way through to the gold. I was all but beginning to write it off again when I received a text from Gabe late one night whilst working out of town.
Being away from the city and knowing what was going on was hell. I couldn't swing returning to the city until my working week was over. But the second I got home from Euston station it was down with one bag, and up with another.
A short while later and there I was, running down a small tunnel, trying not to catch my bag on the shallow wall indents. Sweat was building up underneath the scarf I was wearing to hide my face. The tunnels and stations are littered with cameras that definitely work, so no chance was taken whilst down there. Plus I had a flight to catch a matter of hours later which I really didn't want to miss.
All was going well until we edged into the shadows of the tunnel portal at an incredibly lit up station. Perhaps the most active of the sorting offices still in operation, we knew there were infra red cameras, PIR spot lamps and who knows what else lurking to prevent us from venturing further.
We ensured our faces were appropriately covered, and ran. Sprinting the length of the platform, setting off every spotlight whilst aiming for the dull red glow of the IR camera above the far portal. We made it across and jumped down, heading straight for the shadows and further up the tunnel away from the station. All we could do is hope no one was alerted to our presence, although I guess we'd soon find out.
It's an intriguing system. A maze of main tunnels, sidings, loops and service tunnels to allow the trains to back up and go whichever direction was needed. Along one of the loops was a series of cartoon drawings on the wall.
"Metro for midgets" is possibly the best term I've heard used to describe Mail Rail. The construction is identical to the deep level tube lines that run under London, just smaller. They both have cables running along the sides, rails down the middle, and a layer of dark dust from brakes.
Water ingress in the tunnel crown has created stalactites of calcium and other mineral deposits. These broke off and turned into a white paste at the lightest touch, so within no time at all your clothes were filthy.
All a small price for being in such a humbling location though. We passed train after train laid up in the tunnels. Their original red and green paint now long faded and sadly sitting there under a layer of dust and grime.
One of the loops around Mount Pleasant station, underneath the sorting office is going to be renovated in to a tour as part of the refurbished Post Office Museum above. Not much seems to have happened yet, but in coming years you'll be able to take a short ride around part of the tunnels in a rebuilt train. Delightfully quaint for the rail geeks around the world to spend their hard earned on
The online plans I've seen for this make it look a bit sterile, but at least it'll give people a chance to see this fascinating system. Most of London don't appear to know of its' existence mind, so how popular this attraction will be remains to be seen.
I unfortunately didn't get to see the entire system, and ran out of time before making it along to Paddington station. Frustrating, yes. But the majority of the system that I did manage to cover was hugely captivating and relatively mind blowing.
Whitechapel, Liverpool Street, Mount Pleasant, King Edward, New Oxford Street, Rathbone Place... The tunnels kept leading and twirling around, seemingly endless as we edged closer to the point we really needed to be out of there. We really didn't want to find out what kind of activity would find us should we overstay our welcome down here.
Upon reaching the end of the line we quickly nosed around the platforms and poked our heads into a couple of rooms, before hearing voices above resonating down the lift shaft to the platforms. We stood dead, and it really brought home where we were. It may no longer be used, but the Mail Rail is very much inside the dragon's den.
We paced back down the tunnels to our access point, and climbed out into the now blazing morning sun. Fortunately our presence hadn't sparked any form of interest from anyone so we were quickly out and searching for breakfast.
Right, what's next?
It operated with driver-less trains, on 610mm gauge rails which were built by the Underground Electric Railways Company of London, also known for the Piccadilly, Northern and Bakerloo lines of the tube.
It's been the subject of many a conversation, as only a handful of people have been able to view the system illicitly since closure in 2003. First nailed by the LCC in 2011, with stories and blog posts filtering down and whetting appetites of all that heard about it. But with follow up reports of police busts and court cases it didn't ever seem like it would be do able again...
Which lasted all of about 2 years until the champs from the SNC blasted it out one night. This was a huge deal for the Mail Rail, it reignited people's interests and disproved the theory that the Mail Rail would never again fall.
The access used that night literally lasted a day. They tried to revisit the next night only to be thwarted by steel doors and security dogs. Which also happen to be two of my biggest dislikes in this world.
It's hard to know exactly what you're looking for when trying to find a way into a deep subterranean network of tunnels. The railway has 9 stations along its' route, originally all infused within a Royal Mail sorting office above, until inevitable cut backs and infrastructure closure meant that now only 4 actually connect to a functioning RM office.
Leaving 5 redundant sites, where either derelict sorting offices, renovated buildings or soon to be demolished buildings now sit. Since the original photos emerged from the place, and the following media coverage, Royal Mail now know their network is a target for illicit photographers like ourselves. They've taken heed of this and done an impressive job at keeping people out. Or so we thought...
However, in 2014 Mail Rail fell again. This time by BHG & Kev. This was fantastic news, and despite it evading us again it put rocket fuel in certain people's veins and access checks became much more frequent.
Back when I looked around the Kingsway Telephone Exchange, I wrote about what it's like to meet your idol. Or in our case, visit somewhere so sublime that you don't think it's possible to beat. This is one of those places, and even now months later it still sends a chill down my spine when I think about it, and raises a smile whenever I happen to travel passed one of the sorting offices.
"I've been in you, ya bugger."
I'd checked a few potential spots for Mail Rail in the past, but never gotten anywhere closer than some bricked off platforms with no way through to the gold. I was all but beginning to write it off again when I received a text from Gabe late one night whilst working out of town.
Being away from the city and knowing what was going on was hell. I couldn't swing returning to the city until my working week was over. But the second I got home from Euston station it was down with one bag, and up with another.
A short while later and there I was, running down a small tunnel, trying not to catch my bag on the shallow wall indents. Sweat was building up underneath the scarf I was wearing to hide my face. The tunnels and stations are littered with cameras that definitely work, so no chance was taken whilst down there. Plus I had a flight to catch a matter of hours later which I really didn't want to miss.
All was going well until we edged into the shadows of the tunnel portal at an incredibly lit up station. Perhaps the most active of the sorting offices still in operation, we knew there were infra red cameras, PIR spot lamps and who knows what else lurking to prevent us from venturing further.
We ensured our faces were appropriately covered, and ran. Sprinting the length of the platform, setting off every spotlight whilst aiming for the dull red glow of the IR camera above the far portal. We made it across and jumped down, heading straight for the shadows and further up the tunnel away from the station. All we could do is hope no one was alerted to our presence, although I guess we'd soon find out.
It's an intriguing system. A maze of main tunnels, sidings, loops and service tunnels to allow the trains to back up and go whichever direction was needed. Along one of the loops was a series of cartoon drawings on the wall.
"Metro for midgets" is possibly the best term I've heard used to describe Mail Rail. The construction is identical to the deep level tube lines that run under London, just smaller. They both have cables running along the sides, rails down the middle, and a layer of dark dust from brakes.
Water ingress in the tunnel crown has created stalactites of calcium and other mineral deposits. These broke off and turned into a white paste at the lightest touch, so within no time at all your clothes were filthy.
All a small price for being in such a humbling location though. We passed train after train laid up in the tunnels. Their original red and green paint now long faded and sadly sitting there under a layer of dust and grime.
One of the loops around Mount Pleasant station, underneath the sorting office is going to be renovated in to a tour as part of the refurbished Post Office Museum above. Not much seems to have happened yet, but in coming years you'll be able to take a short ride around part of the tunnels in a rebuilt train. Delightfully quaint for the rail geeks around the world to spend their hard earned on
The online plans I've seen for this make it look a bit sterile, but at least it'll give people a chance to see this fascinating system. Most of London don't appear to know of its' existence mind, so how popular this attraction will be remains to be seen.
I unfortunately didn't get to see the entire system, and ran out of time before making it along to Paddington station. Frustrating, yes. But the majority of the system that I did manage to cover was hugely captivating and relatively mind blowing.
Whitechapel, Liverpool Street, Mount Pleasant, King Edward, New Oxford Street, Rathbone Place... The tunnels kept leading and twirling around, seemingly endless as we edged closer to the point we really needed to be out of there. We really didn't want to find out what kind of activity would find us should we overstay our welcome down here.
Upon reaching the end of the line we quickly nosed around the platforms and poked our heads into a couple of rooms, before hearing voices above resonating down the lift shaft to the platforms. We stood dead, and it really brought home where we were. It may no longer be used, but the Mail Rail is very much inside the dragon's den.
We paced back down the tunnels to our access point, and climbed out into the now blazing morning sun. Fortunately our presence hadn't sparked any form of interest from anyone so we were quickly out and searching for breakfast.
Right, what's next?
)
