455 Crossrail and TfL chiefs earned more than £100,000 over past year

ore than 450 Crossrail and TfL chiefs earned in excess of £100,000 in the last year, it has been revealed.

Crossrail chief executive Mark Wild was the highest earner, picking up £447,853 in 2020/21 as he battled to keep the long-delayed Elizabeth line on track for its new opening date in the first half of next year.

Ninety executives received “golden goodbyes” totalling £6.2 million — an average of almost £70,000 each — as TfL shed hundreds of staff under its cost-cutting transformation programme.

The number of people earning six-figure sums decreased by 21 per cent year-on-year, from 577 to 455, partly as a consequence of bonuses from 2019/20 not being paid until this year. Of these, 420 worked for TfL and 35 for Crossrail.

TfL’s total wage bill fell by seven per cent, or £143.8 million year-on-year, to £2.029 billion. No bonuses were awarded for the last financial year due to the dire impact of the pandemic on TfL’s finances and its need for three government bailouts.

A total of 162 people taking home £100,000-plus earned a basic six-figure salary — down from 178.

The majority saw their pay packet boosted by overtime or night and weekend work on projects such as the Northern line extension and Bank station upgrade, or from severance payments.

Only eight per cent of people earning six-figure sums were known to be of black, Asian or ethnic minority heritage.

Total headcount decreased by 810, from 27,605 in March last year to 26,795 by the end of this March. TfL’s annual remuneration report also revealed the number of staff given paid leave to carry out union duties increased from 857 to 880, of which 35 worked full-time for their union at TfL’s expense.

This “trade union facility time” cost TfL £6.4 million, down from £8.9 million the previous year.

A TfL spokesman said: “With our fares income significantly impacted by the pandemic, we have continued to ensure we operate as efficiently as possible, which will allow us to achieve financial sustainability in the coming years.

“The number of people at TfL earning above £100,000 reduced by 19 per cent last year. However, London needs a thriving public transport system to enable a strong recovery and it is essential that we can attract and retain the right leadership to help get London moving again.”

Susan Hall, leader of the GLA Conservatives, said: “After receiving billions of pounds of taxpayer bailouts, it’s disgraceful that TfL is still handing out golden goodbyes and £100,000 salaries to hundreds of executives.”