Stephen Byers, UK Transport Secretary, has finally agreed to meet the Railtrack Shareholders' Action group to discuss its demands for compensation from the government after it forced the UK railway company into administration.

Byers, who is battling for his political career following the government's controversial decision, has written to Simon Haslam, chairman of the Railtrack action group, agreeing to meet him. Haslam, who works for Fidelity Investments which owns 4% of Railtrack's shares, has been lobbying for a meeting with Byers since mid-October and now hopes to meet Byers over the next 10 days.