Rail bosses deserve 'millions in bonuses', transport secretary says News of the increased fares that will be paid by travellers come just a month after it emerged that five directors at Network Rail could receive over £11million over the next three years, including £5million in bonuses. Unions described it as "rewarding failure" because of concerns about rising fares and concerns about service punctuality. The transport secretary was pressed about bonuses during an interview on Radio Four's Today programme but repeatedly refused to criticise them. He said: "Bonuses are one way which are a reward for delivering those services, as has been seen across the front, there are certain people in the BBC who get bonuses. There is a bit more than just doing their job we are talking about some very very complicated engineering works that are going on. Asked whether it sent a poor signal for paying out "huge bonuses for doing no more than their jobs," Mr McLoughlin said: "The simple fact is that what people want is for our railway system to work effectively and efficiently. And they want those delays cutting out so I think the value is important that we get those kinds of service improvements and we keep down the cost. He added: "Network Rail is a private company it was set up by the last government, and the way in which their contracts have been dealt with is not something that I have not interfered with because it is a private operating company." Asked whether it sent a poor signal for paying out "huge bonuses for doing no more than their jobs," Mr McLoughlin said:"The simple factis that what people want is for our railway system to work effectively and efficiently. Asked why they could not do this without keeping down the bonuses, he said: "Bonuses are one way which are a reward for delivering those services, as has been seen across the front, there are certain people in the BBC who get bonuses. Under calculations based on today's figures Brighton's commuters,assuming they face an average rise, will have to pay £4018.26 a year for their season ticket, a rise of £158.26. Some commuters will fare even worse having been told they will have to pay a further five per cent for their season tickets under a system known as Flex. This allows train operators to push up the cost on some routes by even more, as long as smaller reductions are imposed elsewhere. According to the Campaign for Better Transport rail fares have outpaced wages by nearly 14 per cent since 2007. Stephen Joseph, Chief Executive, the organisation's chief executive, said: "Getting to work is now the biggest single monthly outgoing for many commuters - more than food, more than housing. One of the surest ways of stamping on any green shoots of recovery is to price people off the trains and out of the jobs market. For the sake of the economy we should end above inflation fares increases now and start planning for fare reductions.