MHB Consultants wins Ground Engineering Award for innovative Ratho Rock Cutting project

MHB Consultants won the £500k to £1m category at the Ground Engineering Awards 2025 for the Ratho Rock Cutting project, delivered with QTS Group and Network Rail on the Glasgow to Edinburgh line.

The team secured a 200 metre rock cutting up to 10 metres high within a five-day access window. MHB designed a high-tensile netting solution with optimised ground anchors and provided full-time site presence to map the face as vegetation was cleared and to finalise anchor layouts in real time.

During the works, engineers uncovered a six metre high masonry retaining wall spanning 15 metres that was not recorded in Network Rail’s database. QTS coordinated rope access crews and Road Rail Vehicles along the corridor to maintain productivity in tight conditions.

The project adds to MHB’s track record in geotechnical risk management on live rail assets where safety, timing and delivery certainty are critical.