Islington Borough Council has approved plans to open up a section of the old Post Office Underground Railway – also known as the Mail Rail – as an attraction for the newly created British Postal Museum & Archives (BPMA).

Due to open in 2016, the Mail Rail will allow visitors to explore the 100-year-old underground railway through an exhibition and interactive ride through 1km (0.6m) of original tunnels following the same route that much of the nation’s mail took for nearly 80 years from 1927-2003.

Adrian Steel, director of the BPMA said: “Making this exciting project a reality still requires a further £0.5m, but this is a major boost to our plans and for Islington’s, Camden’s and London’s heritage offering. We hope to launch a public appeal later this year, both in the local community and further afield, and look forward to welcoming our first visitors in 2016.”

The BPMA is currently waiting on the outcome of an application for £4.5m from the Heritage Lottery Fund. A decision is expected in May this year.