This paper presents a brief discussion on the principal mechanisms causing instability within an operational railway embankment. Instability intrudes on the serviceability of the railway line and is gauged through loss of rail alignment. Currently rail realignment operations occur every two months over the full length of the embankment, approximately 170m. Numerical studies used to investigate the stability of the embankment were simplistic, and designed to identify trends of behaviour; therefore, leading to understanding of the principal destabilising mechanisms. From the numerical analyses performed, general conclusions can be drawn pertaining to the principal destabilising mechanisms; the methods used to test their influence on the stability of the embankment, and the future management of the embankment to inhibit further displacement.
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