travelling post office

English

Noun

travelling post office (plural travelling post offices)

1. (rail transport, UK) A type of railway coach designed for the carriage and sorting of mail en route.
   • 1945 November and December, “Return of the T.P.O.”, in Railway Magazine, pages 311–312:

     One of the important railway facilities which disappeared on the outbreak of war was the travelling post office. […] T.P.Os. have now been resumed, with the reinstatement on October 1 of those between Euston and Aberdeen, and between Paddington and Penzanze.

   • 2024 July 24, Richard Wilcock, “Royal Mail's switch to road a body blow for rail freight sector”, in RAIL, number 1014, page 26:

     From its pre-Second World War boom of 130 Travelling Post Offices (TPOs) that sorted mail on the move, Royal Mail has slowly (but progressively) shifted its mail operations to other modes of transport.

Synonyms

• TPO (abbreviation)
• mail car (US)