Rail-chiefs-to-pocket-7-figure-pay-packets

TRAIN bosses are in line to receive multi-million pound pay packages this year as passengers face record fare hikes, cancellations and strikes.

A Daily Mail investigation reveals some executives could earn as much as £4.2 million despite a year plagued by poor punctuality, engineering works and the worst strikes disruption in decades – with more to come.

The Government bailed out the railways to the tune of £16 billion during the pandemic, meaning taxpayers’ money has helped subsidise the bumper pay packets. And next year passengers can expect fare increases of between 6 and 8 per cent – the largest on record.

Despite all this, Graham Sutherland, the CEO of First Group, is in line for a remuneration package worth up to £3 million.

The firm owns 70 per cent of Avanti West Coast, which cancelled one in six services in the four-weeks to July 23. It has also reduced services between Manchester and London until further notice.

Boss of Go-Ahead, Christian Schreyer, could earn up to £1.37 million this year. Go-Ahead has a 65 per cent stake in Southern, Great Northern, Thameslink and Gatwick Express. Rupert Soames, chief executive of Serco, which operates the Caledonian Sleeper and part controls Merseyrail, could earn £4.2 million if he hits his performance targets.

Tory MP Greg Smith, who sits on the Commons transport committee, said: ‘I’ve got no objection to big pay packages... but what we’re seeing on the railways today is anything but first-class as my constituents struggle to even get a seat on rush hour trains.’ A spokesman for the Rail Delivery Group, which represents all operators, said: ‘We need to pay salaries that mean we can attract the best talent.’