Almost 1,000 staff at Network Rail are paid more than £100,000 a year – as passengers endure the worst train services for nearly 20 years.
An investigation by The Mail on Sunday has exposed a culture of bumper pay packets, bonuses and business-class flights at the state-backed rail giant.
The revelations follow a ‘year from hell’ for commuters after the shambolic introduction of a new timetable and delays to vital upgrades to the network.
Network Rail's chief executive was paid £588,000 despite commuters enduring the worst train service for almost 20 years and the state-backed giant facing a multi-million pound fine
The proportion of cancelled or severely delayed trains is at its highest level since 2001, and Network Rail, which runs Britain’s rail infrastructure, faces a multi-million-pound fine from the regulator if it fails to improve its dire performance,
Despite this, figures released under the Freedom of Information Act show 963 Network Rail employees received more than £100,000 in 2017-18, up from 882 in 2016-17.
Of those, 131 earned more than £150,000 last year.
The figures include salaries, bonuses, pension contributions, overtime and other allowances.
Andrew Haines (pictured) is the best paid employee at Network Rail
Chairman for Network Rail Peter Hendy is paid between £375,000 and £379,999
Many saw earnings swelled by big bonuses, including 61 who got a bonus of more than £30,000 and two who received six-figure bonuses.
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