NETWORK Rail (NR) caved in to trade union pressure yesterday by announcing it is to cut huge bonuses to top bosses.

Bonuses for five senior executives have been reduced from a potential 160 per cent of salary to 20 per cent. 

Rail union TSSA general secretary Manuel Cortes said: “We welcome the sinner that repententh, even at the eleventh hour.

“We have been arguing the case against double-your-salary bonuses for ten years and now, after taking £10 million in such unmerited bonuses, Network Rail’s top bosses have finally listened.”

The union demanded the payouts be stopped after the Commons transport committee criticised NR for a spate of deaths on level crossings. 

Its record was highlighted again this week during the inquest into the death of four-year-old Emma Lifsey.

And Mr Cortes said they should not have taken any bonuses — let alone the six-figure sums pocketed in recent years. 

“We hope that this is not just a PR move to appease their critics. Whilst cutting bonuses, base salaries are to be quietly hiked to compensate for bonus losses. That would be sharp practice,” he added. 

“Network Rail is a public company funded by the taxpayer to the tune of £4 billion a year. Safety should be its number one priority, not imitating the ‘get rich quick’ mentality of bonus-driven wide boys in the City.”

Chief executive Mark Carne still stands to net a £135,000 top-up to his £675,000 basic salary if the part publicly owned company meets its performance targets.