As rail workers from the RMT union strike over pay and conditions, government ministers have said they are already particularly well paid.
The transport secretary, Grant Shapps, cited an average salary of £44,000 – a figure that includes the train drivers, who are not part of this week’s national strike. However, rail bosses account for eight of 10 of the highest paid people in the public sector, while chief executives of private rail firms take home even more. So who exactly earns what in the railway?
