ScotRail spending £1m a year on salaries of seven top executives, figures reveal

Three months after it was taken into public ownership on 1 April, ScotRail has published the salaries of its senior management team

ScotRail was nationalised on 1 April this year (Photo: PA)

By Chris GreenScotland Editor

ScotRail is spending around £1m per year on the salaries of its seven top executives, according to figures released by the newly nationalised rail operator.

Three months after it was taken into public ownership on 1 April, ScotRail has published the salaries of its senior management team for the first time.

The figures show that the firm’s most highly paid executive is Chief Operating Officer Joanne Maguire, who earns between £175,000 and £180,000 per year.

Interim finance director James Griffin is paid between £170,000 and £175,000 per year, while safety director David Lister earns between £150,000 and £155,000.

Service delivery director David Simpson has a salary of between £135,000 and £140,000 , while commercial director Lesley Kane is paid between £130,000 and £135,000.

Interim HR director Marie-Therese Weighton and interim communications director David Ross are both paid between £115,000 and £120,000.

The figures, published by ScotRail on its website, also show that while none of the executives receive a bonus, Mr Lister, Mr Simpson and Ms Kane are all given a £7,500 car allowance.

Taken together, the salaries of the seven top executives add up to between £990,000 and £1,025,000 per year.

The highest paid rail executive in Scotland is Alex Hynes, the joint managing director of ScotRail and Network Rail Scotland. He earns up to £335,000, but this is paid by Network Rail.

The nationalisation of ScotRail means that it now must disclose the names, job titles and salary details of senior management as dictated by Scottish Government guidelines.

ScotRail moved to a temporary timetable in May, cutting almost 700 daily services after a pay dispute with drivers’ union Aslef resulted in staff refusing to work their rest days.

An agreement involving a 5 per cent pay rise was reached between ScotRail and the union earlier this month, with drivers currently being balloted on whether to accept.

Mick Hogg of the RMT union claimed ScotRail “deliberately” put off publishing the salaries of its senior management team while the negotiations were taking place.

Scottish Labour transport spokesman Neil Bibby added: “It will come as a shock to the people of Scotland that in the midst of a cost of living and travel crisis, part time officials at ScotRail are earning six figure sums.

“Frontline workers have been forced to take industrial action for a fair pay deal and all the while part time executives have been given bumper salaries by the SNP.

“Many ordinary commuters don’t benefit from a car allowance when their train is cancelled so it’s hard to see why this is also appropriate for ScotRail bosses.”

ScotRail chair Chris Gibb said: “Pay needs to be set at fair market rates to attract and retain the best talent to do that job.

“We recognise that, as part of the public sector, we must ensure that pay is fair and provides value for taxpayers. We will continue to work with government to ensure this happens.”

A Transport Scotland spokesman added: “Ministers have been assured that these salaries are commensurate with market rates for senior leaders at organisations on this size and scale.”