Railtrack shareholders ready to sue

Having succeeded in raising the requisite £2mn they believe to carry through litigation ‘as far as the House of Lords’, the Railtrack Private Shareholders Action Group will, if the latest talks fail, launch legal action. Stemming from losses suffered when the plug was pulled on funding for Railtrack in October 2001, they will charge the government and transport secretary at the time, Stephen Byers, either with abuse of public office or abuse of human rights (in relation to ownership of property), or both. They are being advised by Edwin Coe who had a reputation for such class actions including the Spanish fishermen and the families of victims of Lockerbie.