First class 325 scrapped

[orudge]

BA fly to MAN, EDI, GLA, ABZ, NCL. Flybe carry mail on several services (and they have a quite extensive network), as well as Loganair. There may well be others within the UK. In terms of cargo operators, I understand Jet2 operate some cargo flights overnight for the Royal Mail (mentioned on their Wikipedia page as well); I'm not sure about others, but I daresay there are a variety of them.

Basically, the Royal Mail use whichever mode of transport works most efficiently and cost-effectively for them. The idea of mail being sorted on a overnight train and so on is nice, but it must have been cancelled for a reason - I guess it wasn't as cheap or as fast as needed?

[Dave]

It's not economical. You can use machines and few staff to sort mail these days - why bother employing many staff to do that job manually, in an environment hardly suited to the task? Maintenance was high, you're relying on the reliability of a third party system and everything had to be done by hand.

TPOs, as romantic and as British as they are, have no place in a modern organisation that is required to make money. Sad, but ultimately true.

[Ameecher]

There are some TPO services run by DB Schenker UK (using the 325s), but your right, there are not as many as they used to be, if HS2 opens, what chance any high speed TPOs on that route?

You appeared to have confused TPO (Travelling Post Office) with Mail Trains, the former had mail sorted en-route, the latter is pre-sorted and no one travels "in the back" as it were.

[JamieLei]

I always wondered why the DVT or crumple zone space can't be used for mail. The TOCs could make a few extra bob by transporting a few wheely crates of mail. Plus them bits of paper wouldn't moan when the train's late!

[FLHerne]

Plus them bits of paper wouldn't moan when the train's late!

The intended recipients of 'them bits of paper' might...

[Kevo00]

It won't make Amazon deliveries faster because all will happen is your parcel arrives at the sorting office faster. Postman pat isn't going at 125 mph! Most stuff arrives from Amazon the next day anyway!

It will under project Alan Fry! A 390 will wizz by your door dropping your Amazon purchases off so frequently it will virtually be on demand. Who needs postmen on bikes and on foot when you can have a pendelino?

[Griff]

It won't make Amazon deliveries faster because all will happen is your parcel arrives at the sorting office faster. Postman pat isn't going at 125 mph! Most stuff arrives from Amazon the next day anyway!

It will under project Alan Fry! A 390 will wizz by your door dropping your Amazon purchases off so frequently it will virtually be on demand. Who needs postmen on bikes and on foot when you can have a pendelino?

Amazon have moved on from the traditional warehouses and now use a series of Pendolino's instead. Fitted with top of the range Virgin wireless o'course, the roaming train picks up your order and speeds off to your destination as the order is picked. Coach A for Books, Coach B for Games, Coach D for Computing. Of course, it gets slightly more difficult if you don't actually live next to a railway line, haha.

[Dave]

There have been several reported complaints about parcel damage after the Coach G's dispatch system which fires parcels through letterboxes several miles away with a cannon.

[JamieLei]

There have been several reported complaints about parcel damage after the Coach G's dispatch system which fires parcels through letterboxes several miles away with a cannon.

I lol'd!

[orudge]

They'll need a particularly powerful cannon to be able to fire parcels from Thurso or Wick to the Shetland Isles, only 130 miles or so north of there. I look forward to seeing the Pendolino carrying that trundling up the Far North Line.