Editing Network Rail (section)

===Allegations and controversies===
In 2009, allegations appeared in the media from the [[Transport Salaried Staffs' Association]] concerning treatment of Network Rail employees. Former chief executive [[Iain Coucher]] was also accused of financial impropriety involving unspecified payments to his business partner Victoria Pender during his tenure at Network Rail.<ref name="guardian-may 2011">{{cite news |last = Milmo |first = Dan |title = Iain Coucher set to be cleared of misusing Network Rail funds |url = https://www.theguardian.com/business/2011/may/23/iain-coucher-cleared-of-misuse-of-funds |access-date=9 March 2012 |date = 23 May 2011 |newspaper = The Guardian |url-status = live |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131110035120/http://www.theguardian.com/business/2011/may/23/iain-coucher-cleared-of-misuse-of-funds |archive-date = 10 November 2013 |df = dmy-all}}</ref> An internal investigation held by Network Rail in 2010, vetted by its auditors [[PricewaterhouseCoopers]], uncovered no evidence of wrongdoing. An independent enquiry headed by Anthony White QC in 2011 further examined the claims, but also exonerated Coucher.<ref>{{cite news |url = https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/transport/8287674/Network-Rail-inquiry-launched-into-misuse-of-public-funds-and-illicit-payments.html |place = London |work = The Daily Telegraph |first = Andrew |last = Hough |title = Network Rail: inquiry launched into 'misuse of public funds and illicit payments' |date = 28 January 2011 |url-status = live |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180514131133/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/transport/8287674/Network-Rail-inquiry-launched-into-misuse-of-public-funds-and-illicit-payments.html |archive-date = 14 May 2018 |df = dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url = http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/1dcf5bba-d6fe-11df-aaab-00144feabdc0,s01=1.html#axzz1E7DUYExM |title = Cash inquiry moves closer for Network Rail |newspaper = The Financial Times |date = 13 October 2010 }}</ref>

Critical commentary appeared in the media concerning the [[Knight Bachelor|knighthood]] awarded to John Armitt in the [[2012 New Year Honours]] for services to engineering and construction. Armitt was Chief Executive of Network Rail at the time of the 2007 [[Grayrigg derailment]] and the family of a victim of the accident criticised the award, which coincidentally was conferred on the same day that Network Rail were prosecuted for the accident.<ref name=bbc-knighthood>{{cite news |title = Grayrigg crash victim's son 'disgusted' by knighthood |url = https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cumbria-17223196 |access-date = 2 March 2012 |newspaper = BBC News |date = 1 March 2012 |url-status = live |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120302180319/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cumbria-17223196 |archive-date = 2 March 2012 |df = dmy-all}}</ref>

In 2023, one of Network Rail's managing directors resigned after a litany of problems in the areas she was responsible for. Michelle Handforth resigned after infrastructure problems left hundreds of passengers stranded in carriages in London, one of the latest issues with the lines outside [[Paddington Station]]. The [[Office of Rail and Road]] was already investigating poor reliability and punctuality in the Wales and Western region.<ref>{{cite news |url = https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-67742682 |place = London |work = BBC News |first = Vivienne |last = Nunis |title = Network Rail manager for stranded passenger line quits |date = 18 December 2023 }}</ref>