IS IAN COUCHER THE BOSS OF NETWORK RAIL WORTH HIS WEIGHT IN GOLD; INDEED £1,244.000 A YEAR?

Last Thursday when I went down to London for an LGA Safer Communities Conference, I had one of those nightmare train journeys and it just made me wonder why the devil is the boss of Network Rail paid in excess of One Million Pounds.

Yes, he receives over £1 million; indeed he receives £1,244,000 just for making sure the network is up to scratch, and then hopefully our trains should run on time and faster – we believe. Well, that’s how the systems suppose to work.

However, on Thursday I arrived in plenty of time at Grimsby Town station at 15.40 ready for the 16.03 which was suppose to be heading for Newark, but yes your right it was cancelled. At 15.50 there was a very polite announcement to say that this train had been cancelled; however there was no indication why, we just had to leave over the bridge, and catch the coach in front of the station foyer.

I naturally followed the instructions without question, I had no other choice - I was frightened in case I missed the coach. It soon became apparent that this coach was not going to get me to Newark in time for my connection to get me into London for a reasonable time; therefore I would be arriving late.

At each stop we promptly pulled alongside the railway station and when we arrived at Lincoln I was the only person left on the coach; therefore the driver asked if I would like to get on a train to resume my journey. I replied rather abruptly that I had to catch a connection for London which I was already late for, and would there be a train arriving in Lincoln to go to Newark – he enquired, and then promptly said it would be advisable for me to take the train on Platform 3. I quickly raced over the bridge for the next leg of my journey.

On arriving in Newark I looked at the message board to see what time the next train was in, it was the 18.51 to London. The board said it was due in at 18.54; then all of a sudden it said it was On Time – WOW that’s the first good bit of news of the day – the train must be motoring! I waited and waited; 18.51 went by; and 18.54 went by; and at 18.54 a message came up on the board that the train had arrived, but still no train. It eventually arrived at 18.55 and departed at 19.00 hours.

Now that’s how I really know why, Ian Coucher the boss of Network Rail is worth his weight in gold; indeed £1,244.000 a year.