AVANTI West Coast bosses caught joking about getting “free money” from taxpayers shows the need for public rail ownership, rail unions said today.

An internal presentation at by senior managers at the notoriously unreliable rail firm described performance-related payments as “too good to be true,” Novara Media revealed.

One slide entitled “Roll up, roll-up, get your free money here!” described how the Treasury and Department for Transport supported the firm with taxpayers’ money, provided third-party suppliers and inspections and then paid Avanti fees on top.

RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: “For senior management to produce a Powerpoint slide bragging about the government paying them public money is a disgrace.

“The fact the company feels emboldened to boast that they get ‘free money’ is down to the ridiculous system of rail ownership in this country. And that’s why need public ownership of the entire network.”

Mr Lynch added that Avanti was among the worst rail companies for performance and treatment of staff, and the government “should never have given them a long-term nine-year contract award.”

A spokesperson for train drivers’ union Aslef said: “They are just taking the p***  because they’ve got their snouts in the trough.

“This just shows the contempt in which Avanti, in common with many of the privatised train operators, holds passengers, taxpayers, and even the Tory government that is so keen to do their bidding.

“[Transport Secretary] Mark Harper extended the contract of this famously unreliable operator — and they’re laughing at him!”

TSSA general secretary Maryam Eslamdoust said: “These comments are a disgrace:  Avanti has yet again revealed it is taking us all for a ride.

“It’s beyond belief that this company, which seems to struggle day to day to run services, thinks it can get away with this simply by expressing regret. A full explanation is needed, and bosses must be accountable.

“The British public will rightly be appalled over this affair. The only way to stop the rip off on the railways is to bring them fully back into public hands,” Ms Eslamdoust said.

The presentation was describing the “service quality regime,” which inspects station and train functioning, cleanliness and customer service.

Avanti managing director Andy Mellors attended the meeting though is understood not to have presented the “free money” slides.

Since the end of rail franchising, train operators have been paid a management fee by the government to run services, and can earn higher contractual payments by hitting performance targets.

Attendees were told that even with only partial compliance – “and here’s the fantastic thing! — if we achieve those figures, they pay us some more money, which is ours to keep in the form of a performance-based fee!!

“Sound too good to be true?! Well on this occasion it isn’t — it’s the absolute truth!”

Shadow transport secretary Louise Haigh said: “This failing operator is taking passengers and taxpayers for fools while complacent ministers reward them for their failure.”

Avanti West Coast said the language used was “regrettable and we apologise.”

The Department for Transport declined to comment.