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How did the Achaemenid postal system send messages across the empire quickly?

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Relief of three Achaemenid warriors, known as the Ten Thousand Immortals, depicted in profile on glazed bricks with patterned robes and bows, from the Palace of Artaxerxes at Susa.
Achaemenid Empire Frieze of Archers from the palace of Darius I at Susa, c. 510 bce; some believe the warriors are among the Ten Thousand Immortals.

The Achaemenid Empire maintained a highly efficient communication network through the Persian Royal Road, an all-weather state-maintained highway system that spanned more than 2,400 kilometers (1,500 miles) from Susa to the Aegean Sea.12

To facilitate rapid message delivery, the empire utilized a sophisticated postal system based on a relay structure. This system featured stations positioned approximately one day's ride apart, equipped with fresh riders and remounts. By utilizing these relay stations, royal messengers could traverse the entire length of the road in just nine days—a journey that typically took three months for normal travelers. This infrastructure was instrumental in supporting the empire's civil and military administration, allowing for communication speeds that were remarkable for the time.231