Julian Hawkes

Said the following about Shaun Merrifield:

“We in the UK have had our fair share of rainfall and if it had not been for the determined efforts of one individual, Mr Shaun Merrifield, the main line through Hinksey near Oxford would be under 6 inches of water, not to mention the irate passengers complaining of, not leaves on the line, but water!

Hinksey has had a long problem of severe flooding, closing the line 11 times in the last 15 years.

Back in 2013, I handed Shaun a draft design fee proposal for circa £50K to develop the track design input as a Contractors Responsible Engineer……….. how things developed fast and furious.

The project had some challenging timescales and David Cameron had a particular interest in this job as it was in his local constituency. Designs required in 12 months……….. Shaun now involved.

Shaun’s expertise is not only in track but multi-disciplinary rail design. We realised that there needed to be a controlling mind if this was to be implemented effectively and efficiently. Shaun’s knowledge of engineering is second to none and he soon challenged the timescales to enable realistic delivery. The programme was adjusted to suit the engineering output. Shaun found that he had become the focus of ‘All Engineering’ and his role changed from not just the Contractors Responsible Engineer for track but the Contractors Engineering Manager for the whole design delivery! Whilst Shaun had previous experience of this type of role, it became apparent that there needed to be control of third parties such as Oxford County Council and the Environment Agency; they had particular requirements that needed to be interfaced with the project and Shaun was the Engineer that made it happen.

As always the devil is in the detail and Shaun made it his business to know the detail at every stage inside out. He knew where the water voles lived and what had to be done to manage the environmental aspects of the project. He knew which houses would get flooded. He familiarised himself with all things environmental as well as drainage catchments along with the civil engineering required to achieve the requirements. He was on site during the ecology, Topo and GI surveys and indeed, the installation; so he knew what was going on. This enabled him to co-ordinate the various disciplines accordingly, to make the most of available possessions. This detailed knowledge of the project made him quite useful; so much so that at planning and local residents meetings he would be the spokesperson on behalf of the Network Rail Project team as he knew the nuts and bolts of the project. Challenging questions could be responded to using Shaun’s knowledge of not only the engineering but the effects on the Environment.

Through Shaun, the design submissions were meticulously checked and delivered to exacting standards and with engagement of the construction teams meant that there were no surprises. Shaun’s natural interest in the permanent way meant he was pivotal in detailing the design as well as keeping his focus on the overall management of the design commission.

The project was delivered successfully in 2016 and consisted of the replacement of Stroud’s Road Underbridge, remodelling of the Switches and Crossings including signalling, provision of track lifts circa 600mm based on a 1:100 year flood event and associated staging as dictated by the possession regime.

Shaun’s ability to live and breathe the project in the minutest of detail is a credit to his technical knowledge and his ability to further his knowledge to achieve success for the project and the team. Technically Brilliant!

Key Facts

• £21.8m investment to make the railway more resilient.

• 16 day Temporary Period of Disruption – a complete blockage of the Oxford to Didcot Parkway Line.

• Tracks lifted by up to 600mm over a half a mile length of a four track railway

• 9 S&C units replaced

• Over ten thousand tonnes of ballast dropped

• 64 culvert units installed underneath the tracks connecting Hinksey Drain to Hinksey Stream.

• 2 main line bridge decks removed, refurbished and reinstalled at a higher soffit level.

• 1 Freight Line bridge removed and replaced with new at a higher soffit level.

• 1 new foot bridge installed

Have not recalled any flooding to date!“