[[British Rail
TPO vehicle NSA 80390 on display at
Doncaster Works open day on 27th July 2003. This type of vehicle, based on the British Rail Mark 1 coach, was the final design on TPO vehicle used in the
United Kingdom.]]
A
Travelling Post Office (TPO) is a type of mail train where the mail is sorted en-route.
In the
United Kingdom, these trains first started operating in 1838. The trains were operated most recently by
Rail Express Systems, and their successor
EWS. 9 January 2004 saw the last TPO trains operated, after
Royal Mail decided not to transport mail by rail.
TPOs were equipped with letter boxes so that mail could be posted whilst the train stood at a station. The post-marks from TPOs are valued by philatelists.
TPO trains are formed of several different types of vehicle. For more information see the following links.
External Links