When he suggests ...We have saved taxpayers and farepayers billions of pounds over the last few years by running the railway better.
Hes actually refering to the maintenance of it all......
Hes not talking about cheaper tickets etc I think people get confused as to what NETWORK RAIL do try website

John, bristol,

"We have saved taxpayers and farepayers billions of pounds over the last few years by running the railway better."

I could not laugh harder if I tried, not just greedy but also big headed!

Adam, Bristol,

This reflects the obvious error common to many companies of setting bonuses based on internal efficiency metrics, and short-term profit and dividends, and not on long term value where customer service, customer retention etc then becomes a vital metric. Couple that with a monopoly position!!!

Paul Freeman, London, England

They follow the MP's £23000 rise request for putting the country in a poor state. They see no harm in giving money for inefficiency. They control the nationalised railway so one cannot expect anything different. The whole question these days seems to be based on poor work by top people. DISCUSSING

Alan Dutton, Wordsley, England

Surely if he were not so amply rewarded he might go abroad and take his wealth creation skills elsewhere mismanaging another country's public infrastructure.

Paul, Coventry,

These hopeless people live in a different world from the rest of us. How can an organisation so grossly inept in its daily outcomes give anyone a bonus?

Colin, shrewsbury,

June 10th 2010..Bye , Bye NuLab.

Martin, Aberdeen, Scotland

The bulk of that 10% not on time must be on the London Midland service. I had six trains cancelled on me in the space of two weeks, and no end of others running late. As of this month I'm going back to car transport. It's more reliable and cheaper.

Tony, London,

Is anyone really surprised by this? In Brownland everyone gets a reward no matter what the consumer thinks of the service.

clive hogan, surrey,

The railways in Britain have become the laughing stock of the world and this just confirms it.

Gareth Williams, Powys,

Just who is on the remuneration committees of corporations giving such generous packages to boardroom directors?
People who take no risk and run an organisation that has no competition or produces the usual "shareholder value" should receive normal management pay packages. Something has to change.

peter fieldman, paris , france

What a complete joke. I have the misfortune of using One/National Express into Liverpool st and had to travel over Xmas when the engineering work overran. Network rail were heavily fined and reprimanded yet his joker gets a 500k bonus. I work in the City and on this performance I would get the sack....

Mark Wetherall, Chelmsford , England

Yet another example of 'failure' being rewarded instead of achievement !

Baz, Liverpool, England

Whats the keyboard equivalent of someones jaw dropping in disbelief?

ronnie, Bucks, UK

Gordon Brown is the modern day Robing Hood. Take from the poor and give to the rich.

The rich are getting richer and the poor are getting taxed to death.

Are the fat cats of this country are not doing their jobs well but still get their high salaries and big bonuses.

Why not tax the rich more??

Michael, Bracknell,

When you operate a monopoly you can just do what you want.

RB, Lauzun, France

Yet more evidence of the 'rewards for failure' culture that exists in Britain's boardroom.. Why is this government so keen to clamp down on people at the bottom of the ladder but haven't uttered a word about obscenities like this?

Owen, London, UK

This is now our publically owned, nationalised Railway infrastructure company isn't it? So this is what our public servants are being paid? This is after record fines, massive disruption at Christmas and if I am right huge overspend..on projects..? Is this why my taxes are so high?

Phil A, Headley Down, UK

However one looks at this financial deception the bonuses are all undeserved and should be withheld. Strike action by the traveling public and by the staff of NR should be put in place immediately, as should written protests to Government by consumers and involved organizations.

walter coleshill, Pittsboro, N.C., USA

Double standards on which our society rests as a whole cannot last for much longer. An ordinary worker with such level of underperformance in his own department would be sacked.
Mr Coucher is in it jus t for himself. Is he to blame?
No. He just does as all CEO's are doing.

michael, london,

I'm willing to bet that not one of the three top-paid executives actually USED the train system at any point in the year. Maybe if they had to wait for hours for delayed trains on freezing platforms and pee in the disgusting train loos they'd have second thoughts about how great their company is.

Stephanie, Bristol,

“I would simply ask people to look at our record...We have saved taxpayers and farepayers billions of pounds over the last few years by running the railway better.” Hah. My experience was always expensive and shoddy. I travel by coach now. Cheaper, reliable, slightly longer journey, less stress.

Tess, London,