We live in a world where data and connectivity are essential to almost everything we do. Cable and satellite connections add value to business through trade and collaboration, and enrich our personal lives with the ability to engage with friends and family around the world. Maintaining these connections is a central aim of engineers in the 21st century.

Little has changed in a hundred years. In the early years of the 20th Century, London was the backbone router of a communications network that was revolutionising the business and social lives of Britons. Information was transferred by letters and parcels, rather than data packets, but the need to ensure efficient data transmission was the same.

In 1913, work commenced on a project that would smooth this transmission: the General Post Office’s underground railway. This allowed information to flow freely, minimising bandwidth constraints and enabling efficient handling. In March, attendees at the Engineering Matters Awards will have the opportunity to ride on the railway. In this episode, we tell the story of how it was planned, built and operated.

Guests

Chris Taft, head of collections, The Postal Museum

Ray Middlesworth, maintenance engineer (retired), the Post Office Underground Railway