‘Worst train firm’ chief nets £500,000 pay
RAIL supremo Charles Horton, who is in charge of the strike-stricken Southern network, pocketed half a million pounds last year, despite the franchise making a multi-million pound loss, having to apologise for its poor service and being voted Britain’s ‘worst train company’.
Southern’s parent company Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) reported a £15.3 million loss in its latest accounts. As highest-paid director in the GTR accounts, Horton was paid £478,000 while accounts filed by the old Southern group show he received another £17,000 – bringing his total remuneration to £495,000.
GTR said: ‘As a matter of policy we do not discuss the remuneration of any of our employees.’
The group, which runs passenger services on the Great Northern, Thameslink, Southern and Gatwick Express routes, is ultimately owned by FTSE 250 company Go-Ahead Group. The business was merged into a single operation by the Department for Transport in July 2015 when it combined the troubled Southern and Gatwick Express with GTR’s other franchises, Great Northern and Thameslink.
Southern passengers have been hit by a year-long succession of strikes by staff, the latest taking place yesterday. Most action has been prompted by plans for driver-only operated trains.
Earlier this year Southern was voted Britain’s worst train company in the National Rail Passenger Survey. GTR, the UK’s largest rail franchise by passenger numbers, revenue, trains and staff, recorded a pre-tax loss of £15.3million on sales of £1.1billion in the year to July 2, 2016.
A company spokeswoman confirmed the loss, saying: ‘Since it started, GTR has not contributed to the Group’s profits.’