The Landslide Blog is written by Dave Petley, who is widely recognized as a world leader in the study and management of landslides.
Rail Advent has a very nice article that describes the now completed repair of the Browney Curve landslide on the East Coast Mainline railway line in England. This is a site that is dear to my heart as, for 14 years, I drove across the landslide on my way to work.
There is a Google Earth image from 2020, taken from a low sun angle, that beautifully illustrates the issues at this site:-
The East Coast Mainline is one the most important long distance line the country. Built two centuries ago, the line links London and Edinburgh, via York and Newcastle. The Browney Curve landslide has caused issues for many years. The image below, from Network Rail, shows the scale of the problems:-
The hummocky terrain seen in the image is characteristic of land that is undergoing movement. The underlying surface geology consists primarily of glacial till, which causes stability issues in many locations in the UK. The embankment supporting the railway line runs below the very clear back scarp of a natural landslide, and there are clear signs of ground deformation on the slopes above and below the track.
The landslide has regularly caused damage to the track and the road, and there were concerns that a major movement could close the line for a protracted period. Prior to the works, the line was being intensely monitored at this location to ensure that the alignment was safe.
Network Rail has a good page detailing the remediation works, which primarily consist of the installation of 529 piles extending up to 25 metres into the ground to anchor the slope, plus extensive drainage works to lower pore water pressures. The gradient of the embankment has also been reduced, and there will be a tree planting programme as well.
Pell Frischmann has a good web page detailing the ground investigation and design works at the site. There is also a very good, very detailed review of the problems and the repairs on Youtube, presented by Pell Frischmann and Network Rail. This is a fantastic resource:-
The works have cost £33 million (US$43 million), representing a significant investment in the safety and resilience of the East Coast Mainline.
