Coffey, along with Cass Hayward, were appointed by Network Rail to develop the concept design for the grade separation scheme.
This elevated railway aims to relieve congestion by separating the existing main lines from the freight lines at the Westbury Line Junction and the Reading West Chord Junctions to create a grade-separated junction. Subsequent to the main contract being let, Coffey was contracted by Maccaferri Construction Limited to undertake the design work for the load transfer platforms and reinforced soil walls for the new, elevated railway at Reading Station on behalf of Balfour Beatty Civil Engineering. Coffey was selected to design an efficient system that was capable of absorbing the high accidental loading case caused by derailing trains. This type of reinforced soil retaining wall to carry high speed railway loadings in the UK is unusual. Horizontal loads, high vertical strip loads towards the front of the wall, and limited surcharge over the top reinforcing straps created a complex design problem for the team.
