THE company charged with saving Railtrack from going bankrupt is paying out £1 million in Christmas bonuses to staff, the Evening Press has learned.

Although Railtrack is struggling with over-budget projects and failing infrastructure, Ernst & Young, charged with reviving the flagging company, is handing out £100 to each member of staff to reward them for their "patience".

But one Railtrack insider, who asked not to be named, told the Evening Press: "We are embarrassed by this. We don't want this money, we just want to get on with the job in hand.

"The last thing we need at the moment is more bad publicity. Shouldn't this money be seen to be spent on the railway itself?"

A spokesman for the Transport Salaried Staffs' Association, which represents many Railtrack staff, said: "Staff have put up with an awful lot over the last year. You can understand why they feel embarrassed about this, but they do deserve this bonus."

A spokesman for the administrators said: "We have had a fantastic level of support from staff and it is a thank-you to them for their efforts.

"They have no need to be embarrassed about this, the amount of money involved is tiny compared with the turnover of Railtrack as a whole."

Updated: 12:13 Wednesday, November 28, 2001