The secret underground pipeline across Britain

[TrimeshSZ]

I always loved the fact that the Post Office Tower was "secret". There is something so British about declaring the existence a structure that was visible for miles around and was for some time the tallest building in the UK as an official secret.

[whitler_]

_I AM FROM RUSSIA, THANK YOU TOM, THIS WILL COME IN HANDY. YOU ARE A TRUE COMRADE AND THE MOTHERLAND THANKS YOU_

[PropaneWP]

Local cows have quietly kept this secret for several generations.

[TastyScotch]

I dont know why, but theres something comforting about seeing Tom Scott videos continue to pop up in my feed even though Tom Scott himself said goodbye to youtube and the rest of us months ago 😁

[stumbling]

Be honest Tom, it's not jet fuel flowing through those pipes, it's the internet. The pipes are that wide so there's enough room for the little paper boats containing data to pass each other.

[tonyfrewin]

A few years ago some locals were prosecuted for digging up the pipe and tapping into the fuel near Salisbury. What people don’t realise is that multiple fuels are sent down the line so aviation fuel can be sent from Fawley to Heathrow and pushed through with diesel that will get diverted to another destination at the point it changes. All very cleverly controlled to avoid contamination. Some fuels are used to clean the pipe after other fuels, then the contaminated fuel is blended into lower grade fuels where purity is less important.

[TomScottGo]

Sorry about the wind noise that's in this one: this was with a wind-muffler on the microphone, and the microphone tucked inside my t-shirt! And if anyone wants a copy of that £250 private map, it's called the "Energy Infrastructure Map of the United Kingdom and Ireland"...

[JamesHarveyDavies]

I worked on upgrading the remote telemetry units at each block valve station along a pipeline that comes from Mid-Scotland to Mid-England, with various spurs across the country as well. Commercially, working on these pipelines is a nightmare as there are so many different companies involved, infrastructure owners, product feeders, users, maintenance contractors, land owners, environmental bodies.

[dan]

That section of the pipe doesn't look like its in use. At least I hope it's not in use..

[PikarinePlays]

And that is something you might have to pretend you don't know

[Darkhalo]

Tom: "These pipes are secret"

Also Tom: Let me tell everyone about this "secret"

[DIYPerks]

There's a pipe that looks like that near where I live... just pokes above the ground to go over a canal (near Leven). Does that mean it's part of the network, or might it be some pipe for another use? There are no industries near it, only a small airfield.

[massoir]

Having worked on these pipelines myself, they are no longer secret and alot of them run through small towns and peoples gardens and are surveyed regularly.

[razielhamalakh]

I'm willing to bet that there are some random "No digging" signs here and there, just to throw people off-track of where the pipeline actually is.

[czeever]

thank you YT for recommending this to me once again - i am going to re-watch any of his videos - and thank you Tom for amazing info stream during my childhood :)

[missionDan]

i have a groundwork business, we started digging about 30m from one of these pipes, a helicopter turned up about 20 mins later, landed in the field and three people got out and checked what we were doing and where... how did they know?

[Kore_YT]

Is that your wallet in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?

[tomlloyd]

I find it amazing how Tom Scott is the only person, where the subtitles actually come out correctly.

[Trevor_Austin]

I have flown a survey aircraft along various parts of this network. The reason for the survey was to confirm no unauthorised building works had taken place and that no there was no unexplained ground staining. Nowadays there is no AvGas in the pipes. Instead it has been replaced by diesel, petrol, jet fuel and other refined petroleum products.

[SimonB]

Kind of makes you proud - imagine the work that went in to laying those pipes, the secrecy that it originally involved. 70 - odd years ago the people of these islands were so dedicated, so driven and so united.