Michael Dugher MP, Labour’s Shadow Transport Secretary, has today written to the Chief Executive of Network Rail calling for restraint before handing out any bonuses for senior executives following the travel chaos of recent days. 

 

Michael Dugher said:

 

“Following the misery that passengers have faced in recent days, it is understandable that questions are being raised about the prospect of Network Rail executives receiving large bonuses.

"The public would no doubt find it perverse and indefensible if the people responsible for the poor performance of Network Rail and the failings we’ve seen in the last few days then get rewarded with bumper bonuses.”

 

Mark Carne

Chief Executive of Network Rail
1 Eversholt Street
London
NW1 2DN

 

 

Dear Mr Carne,

 

As you know, passengers have faced appalling disruption to the rail network in recent days due to Network Rail’s Boxing Day engineering work overrunning significantly.  This has resulted in thousands of passengers suffering miserable delays and facing horrendous journeys.   I appreciate that Ministers allowed you to conduct engineering works on Boxing Day on a huge scale and that many of the problems have stemmed from that decision.   

 

However, these latest failures follow criticism earlier this year from the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) OF Network Rail’s overall performance.   You will recall that in November the ORR published a damning report which found that Network Rail was behind in completing its maintenance work, had missed its punctuality targets and was already £40 million over budget for the year.  The ORR has said that more efficiencies need to be found.    

 

Following the misery that passengers have endured in recent days, there is now understandable concern among the travelling public about the prospect of responsible Network Rail executives receiving large bonuses.

 

The truth is it would be perverse and indefensible if the very people responsible for the poor performance of Network Rail are rewarded with bumper bonuses.

 

In March this year, you pledged that your senior staff would be “well-paid but not overpaid”. I would urge you to live up to this and call on you to ensure that Network Rail shows the utmost restraint before handing out bonuses for senior executives who have been involved in the chaos of recent days.  Bonuses are there to reward good performance. It is difficult to see how large bonuses could be justified given Network Rail’s recent dismal performance.

 

It is my view that responsibility and restraint are the very least that the travelling public, and indeed the taxpayer, expect and deserve.

 

I look forward to hearing from you.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

Shadow Secretary of State for Transport