MHB Consultants was appointed by QTS Group on behalf of Network Rail to provide geotechnical design services for the emergency stabilisation of a rock cutting on Scotland’s busiest railway line between Edinburgh and Glasgow. The approximately 200m long cutting, with heights of up to 10m, had accumulated decades of dense ivy and vegetation growth that had prevented any meaningful inspection of the rock face. The condition and risk profile of the cutting was largely unknown — until a rock block fell into the cess in 2023, prompting Network Rail’s asset team to act.
The constraints were significant. Access to this section of line was extremely limited, the cutting sat immediately adjacent to a residential area at Old Ratho, and the works needed to be completed within a five-day possession with round-the-clock working. There was no meaningful historical information to draw upon and no prior survey of the cutting face. The project demanded a pragmatic, highly collaborative approach from the outset.
MHB designed a high tensile rock netting system with ground anchors, taking the unusual step of providing full-time on-site engineering presence throughout all shifts. As vegetation was cleared, MHB engineers carried out live rock mapping of the cutting face, allowing anchor locations to be optimised in real time and drilling sequences to be agreed directly with the QTS installation teams on the ground. This close working relationship between designer and contractor was central to maintaining progress within the available window.
The project was completed successfully on programme.
The project was awarded the UK Project of the Year (£500K–£1M) at the 2025 Ground Engineering Awards, with QTS Group recognised for the exceptional delivery of this challenging and time-critical scheme.
