rats would eat the leather which was lubricated with animal fat if I remember well
you remember Brunel's atmospheric railway Boffin1 XD
I thought they used beeswax which did sound impractical and doing a search just now I have seen mention of Cod oil. However rats do seem to have been the downfall.
In more recent times I have seen a description of a tunnel supposed to be in Holland which you cycle into and a large fan blows you along at quite high speed. Not as green as simple cycling but dry, safer than the road, and perhaps a relatively efficient way of moving people about?