BRITAIN’S rail privateers looked forward to cashing in on thousands of passengers’ Christmas transport misery yesterday thanks to the madness of the franchise system.

Taxpayer-owned infrastructure group Network Rail (NR) faces big compensation payouts and official fines for the chaos caused by over-run maintenance works after the Office for Rail Regulation announced an investigation.

Passengers in London trying to get to the north of England and Scotland or return to the capital were confronted by a total shutdown at King’s Cross, while Paddington was hit by a major signal failure.

Bad weather piled more misery on travellers across the network.

But the complex rules governing Britain’s franchise malaise mean that operating companies stand to rake hundreds of thousands from the public purse in “compensation” for reduced service thanks to engineering works and even more thanks to the overrun.

By contrast, passengers face a torrid time just to claim back some cash for the delays they face.

Transport union TSSA general secretary Manuel Cortes said: “This is not the time for private rail firms to hide behind the usual byzantine rules covering refunds,” he said.

“They will be paid millions for these delays by Network Rail and they must ensure that their frustrated passengers do not end up with just pennies after the horrendous delays of the past few days.”

The travel chaos came after Rail Minister Claire Perry boasted about being “chuffed” with Britain’s railways in an ill-timed column published yesterday in the Sunday People.

Her Christmas message to constituents in Devizes, Wiltshire, also spoke of there being light at the end of the tunnel for passengers with 10,000 NR employees working over the festive period.

Labour shadow transport secretary Michael Dugher said: “This weekend shows once again the deep flaws that lie at the heart of our railways.

“Ministers may be ‘chuffed,’ but we’ve had days of unacceptable disruption, with passengers suffering cancellations and miserable delays, and ultimately it will be the taxpayer that foots the bill for this incompetence.”