- Rail & Aviation
- 16 Dec 2025
Our rail team has supported Network Rail with emergency works to stop an active landslip on a railway embankment at River Brede near Whatlington, East Sussex.
Following early detection of significant ground movement through summer monitoring, our team mobilised to stabilise the site, while keeping trains running throughout the works. This approach ensured passenger journeys were maintained without major disruption.
The embankment’s complex geology, seasonal soil behaviour and environmental conditions made it highly susceptible to repeated ground movement. By acting swiftly , we helped minimise the risk of prolonged closures and safeguarded the integrity of the line.
To secure the slope, we used a bespoke stabilisation design using soil nailing at a depth of 12 metres. Each nail was grouted into position to provide maximum strength and durability. The works were carried out 24 hours a day, until the embankment was fully stabilised.
Access brought significant challenges due to the site’s location. To overcome this, we installed trackway access matting, set up multiple worksite welfare areas, vehicle access and turning points, installed two temporary bridges across two streams and created safe routes to the worksite location enabling heavy machinery to operate safely and efficiently.
Environmental stewardship was central to our approach including various ecological surveys and assessments which identified several protected species, including dormice, making the site of interest to Natural England.
We applied for and obtained a dormouse licence, which allowed us to carry out works responsibly under license conditions and mitigations.
As part of this process, our ecological specialist successfully relocated hazel dormice to a safe habitat, ensuring compliance and biodiversity protection. Post-project, we introduced habitat restoration including installing hazel dormice boxes, installing dead hedges to re-connect vegetation corridors and also re-planting with a mixture of native species to leave a positive lasting legacy on the environment.
We also kept in contact with residents of the community in close proximity of the worksite location who could have been affected by the works and kept them updated with the project progress. A Q&A evening was held at the local village hall where the local residents could attend and ask questions. We also carried out some volunteer days at the village hall and assisted with some general maintenance, including drainage clearing.
Paul Hurkett, Project Manager at M Group Rail & Aviation, said: “By detecting ground movement early, we delivered timely stabilisation of the landslip while keeping trains running, reducing disruption to both the railway and the surrounding environment.”
Under Network Rail’s Control Period 7 (CP7) Southern Framework, our rail team has successfully completed multiple emergency landslip repairs. We are proud to apply our expertise to safeguard infrastructure and ensure passengers enjoy safer, more sustainable journeys.
