Rail firms in the North West have earned a whopping £471million for shareholders in the past five years.
The TUC said the figure is nine times more than the loot stolen in the Great Train Robbery in 1963 – worth £53million in today’s money.
Huge shareholder payments come despite operators receiving large subsidies from taxpayers.
Meanwhile, fares for commuters have rocketed at twice the speed of wages between 2009 and 2019.
Jay McKenna, the TUC’s regional secretary for the North West, said: “It’s appalling that shareholders are taking millions of pounds out of the North West’s rail routes.
“Especially while commuters are stuck with overcrowded and unreliable trains. This modern-day train robbery is working against the needs of people across our region.
“Instead of lining shareholders’ pockets, the money should be invested into services, making it easier and cheaper to travel. If you’re travelling on a train in the North West today, you’re likely to be paying more, whilst you’re paid less.”
It earlier emerged £1.2billion has been paid in dividends to rail shareholders in the past five years nationally.
A report last year found new timetables in 2018 which caused chaos were “a massive failure”.
Northern introduced the schedules, leading to widespread delays.
The review said it caused “severe hardship” for commuters.
