Theresa Villiers has criticised the Government’s response to the news that Network Rail bosses awarded themselves £1.21 million in bonuses.
These payments have been made on top of the six top directors' salary, worth a combined £2.5 million – and they come just a month after the Office for Rail Regulation warned Network Rail over the delays caused on the West Coast main line.
Theresa, the Shadow Transport Secretary, said, "The Government response to these bonuses smacks of complacency - even the official watchdog says there is no compelling evidence for the size of the bonuses announced today. Adonis and his department should take a lead at a time when British taxpayers are already worse off because of the recession.”
She added, “We have set out clear plans to reform Network Rail and ensure bosses are accountable to passengers. That means giving the rail regulator much tougher powers to reduce or cancel bonuses in the event of serious under-performance. In the interests of passengers and taxpayers, there should be no rewards for failure at Network Rail.”