Network Rail directors pick up £6 million

The total pay bill of directors at public sector rail infrastructure company Network Rail came to £6.2 million in the year ending March 2010 — a 39% rise on the £4.4 million the year before.

Iain Coucher, who has announced he is standing down as chief executive, was paid £1,447,000 in total, including annual and deferred long-term bonus and supplementary pension contributions. It ranks as a 53% rise on the year before when he received no annual bonus.

Peter Henderson, director of asset management, was the second Network Rail executive to pick up over £1 million last year. A 15% rise took him to £1,041,000 from £903,000 the year before.

Another three directors received over £700,000 compared to less than £400,000 the year before. Investment projects director Simon Kirby picked up £769,000 in total against £368,000 a year earlier, while Robin Gisby, director of operations and customer service, pocketed £735,000 against £361,000. Paul Plummer, director of planning and development, received £720,000 — more than double the £353,000 he received in the year to March 2009.

Patrick Butcher, who joined the company in March 2009 and took up the finance director’s job the next month, got £669,000.

Rick Haythornthwaite got £188,000 as the part-time chair after taking on the role in July 2009, while former chair Ian MCallister picked up £85,000 for three and half months' work.

www.networkrail.co.uk/browse%20documents/annual%20report%20and%20accounts/network%20rail%20limited%20annual%20report%20and%20accounts%202010.pdf