The project will help to prevent stones potentially falling from a 10m-high rockface above the line – improving safety for passengers.
Engineers will be working around-the-clock to install specialist netting and rock anchors on the 100m-long rock cutting to the east of the old Ratho station.
The work is being undertaken now as the sub-zero temperatures common in Scotland in winter could cause the condition of the cutting to deteriorate.
The project is vital to the safe and reliable running of the railway and cannot be delivered without a short-term closure of the line as overhead powerlines will need to be switched off while engineers carry out the work.
The project will mean significant disruption to some services through Scotland's Central Belt, including:
• Glasgow-Edinburgh, via Falkirk High, services will terminate at Linlithgow. There will be no train service between Edinburgh Waverley and Linlithgow.
• Dunblane-Edinburgh services will terminate at Falkirk Grahamston. There will be no train service between Edinburgh Waverley and Falkirk Grahamston.
• Edinburgh-Helensburgh/Milngavie services will terminate at Bathgate. There will be no train service between Edinburgh Waverley and Bathgate.
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• ScotRail Inverness-Edinburgh services will run via Fife and will not call at Stirling
• Coaches will replace trains on the LNER route between Edinburgh and Stirling / Inverness.
Liam Sumpter, Network Rail Scotland route director, said: "The work we are delivering is vital to the safe running of the railway and cannot be completed without a short closure of the line.
"We understand the inconvenience this project will cause to our customers and have put plans in place that deliver these improvements as quickly as possible. We thank passengers for their patience while we complete this safety-critical work."
Phil Campbell, ScotRail customer operations director, said: "Due to these engineering works, there will be significant disruption to the services ScotRail can operate between Edinburgh and Glasgow, Bathgate, Linlithgow, Stirling, and Inverness.
"We understand the disruption this will cause to customers' journeys, but it is essential that Network Rail carries out these works.
"ScotRail's advice to customers travelling between Edinburgh and Glasgow via Falkirk High or via Bathgate, and between Edinburgh and Dunblane, is that you should only travel if your journey is essential.
"Customers travelling between Inverness and Edinburgh should also be aware that journey times may be longer as those services are diverted via Fife.
"We are working hard to finalise plans to provide alternative travel and will communicate that to customers in the coming days."
Warrick Dent, safety and operations director at LNER, said: "We appreciate this vital engineering work will affect customers' journeys and we thank them for their understanding. We advise customers to plan ahead and check for the latest information before travelling."
Passengers should check their journey before travelling at National Rail Enquiries or with their individual train operator.
Journey times between Linlithgow and Bathgate and Edinburgh will be at least 40 minutes longer via a rail replacement bus to Edinburgh Park and onward journey via tram to the city centre.
Passengers looking to travel directly between Edinburgh and Glasgow can use the following routes which depart and terminate at Glasgow Central. There will be limited additional capacity and journey times are around 30 to 50 minutes longer compared to services via Falkirk High:
• Edinburgh-Glasgow Central via Shotts.
• Edinburgh-Glasgow Central via Carstairs.
ScotRail are finalising plans to provide alternative travel and will communicate that to passengers in the coming days.
