mail train

plural mail trains

1. rail transportA train used by the postal service to transport mail, and in some cases, to sort mail en route.

   The slip took place near the village of Lahat, shortly after the passage of the up and down mail trains between Kuala Lumpur and Penang.

   1955 December, “Notes and News: Track Subsidence in Malaya”, in Railway Magazine, page 877

   3 more examples

   A journey from Mombasa to Kampala is by no means dull. The mail train consists of about 13 carriages, three first, three second, three or four third, a restaurant car and two or three old first class non-corridor carriages used as seconds. This comes to about 400 tons tare. In addition there are two vans for crew and three or four covered freight trucks.

   1950 April, Timothy H. Cobb, “The Kenya-Uganda Railway”, in Railway Magazine, page 263

   There are special rooms where mail can be stored and stacked ready for despatch and accommodation with cooking facilities for T.P.O. crews who change from one mail train to another at Tamworth.

   1962 December, “New station at Tamworth”, in Modern Railways, page 385

   As he passed though the station, he slowed to yell to the signalman, Frank 'Sailor' Bridges: "Sailor - have you anything between here and Fordham? Where's the mail?" Gimbert knew the mail train was due, and he didn't want to endanger another train with his burning bomb wagon.

   2022 January 12, Benedict le Vay, “The heroes of Soham...”, in RAIL, number 948, page 42