£820k-a-year rail boss retires at 58

THE fat-cat boss of Network Rail – Britain’s highest-paid public servant – announced his retirement yesterday at the age of 58.

Mark Carne, who takes home £820,000 a year, had become a lightning rod for criticism over excessive public sector pay.

Network Rail is now facing demands from Whitehall to slash the pay of his successor.

Last night a Whitehall source dismissed reports that the Government had pressured Mr Carne to move aside after four years in his post, after becoming increasingly frustrated by the lack of progress of major engineering projects under his watch – not to mention his bumper pay package.

The former Shell oil executive’s pay was more than five times the prime minister’s salary. The second most highly paid civil servant – HS2 boss Mark Thurston – is paid around £170,000 a year less. Mr Carne’s basic salary of £675,000 when he joined in 2014 was also £100,000 more than given to his predecessor Sir David Higgins.

The next chief executive’s pay package must be signed off by Transport Secretary Chris Grayling and Chief Secretary to the Treasury Liz Truss. Despite yesterday praising Mr Carne for doing an ‘excellent job’, Mr Grayling has publicly criticised Network Rail for failing to improve efficiency.

Mr Carne said: ‘I will leave knowing the railway is in good hands and has a great plan for the future.’