Stabilisation of East Coast Main Line Embankment at Browney Curve Shortlisted for Ground Engineering Awards 2025

We are delighted to share that the stabilisation of a large landslide impacting the East Coast Main Line Embankment at Browney Curve has been shortlisted for this year’s Ground Engineering Awards 2025 in the UK Project with a Geotechnical Value Over £3M category.

The Ground Engineering Awards is an annual event that celebrates excellence and innovation in the ground engineering sector. These awards recognise outstanding achievements in geotechnical engineering across the UK. The event brings together engineers, consultants, contractors, and suppliers to showcase innovation, share best practices, and celebrate industry-leading projects and professionals.

The Browney Curve project stabilised a large and complex landslide system that had been disrupting rail traffic on the East Coast Main Line for 150 years. This highly collaborative project was technically complex, utilising state-of-the-art analytical methods to refine and optimise the design, providing an economical and permanent solution. The project team overcame significant challenges in both the design and construction phases, implementing the scheme on an active and unstable slope while ensuring that rail traffic on the East Coast Main Line remained uninterrupted throughout the construction phase.

The innovative use of re-purposed non-prime steel pile reinforcement significantly reduced the carbon footprint of the scheme. Additionally, tree planting, landscaping, and habitat creation following the completion of the works contributed to a sustainable solution for this complex project.

On being shortlisted for the award, Head of Geotechnical Engineering, Andrew Gill, said:

“It’s fantastic for Pell Frischmann to be recognised for the great work of the team since first being involved at the Browney Curve site in 2013. This is the largest landslide stabilisation project of its kind undertaken for Network Rail, and seeing its successful delivery is a testament to the talent of our team and the collaborative efforts of all involved.”