Xacom’s Role in Supporting Amey on the Thames Tideway Tunnel Programme

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Project Background

The Thames Tideway Tunnel, London’s £4.5 billion “super sewer,” is one of the UK’s largest infrastructure projects. Spanning 25km under the River Thames, its purpose is to intercept combined sewer overflows and dramatically reduce pollution in the river. Delivering this mega-project required the coordinated efforts of multiple contractors, with Amey appointed as Systems Integrator to design, build, and commission the operational control systems.

Ensuring delivery of such a complex, multi-stakeholder programme demanded rigorous planning, scheduling, and performance reporting. This is where Xacom Project Controls played a vital role, providing independent programme assurance and later embedding themselves as a trusted partner to Amey.

Xacom’s Involvement

2018 – Schedule Assessment and NEC3 Compliance

Xacom was first engaged in 2018 to undertake a programme schedule review. At the time, the programme was facing challenges in achieving acceptance under the NEC3 contract framework. Xacom’s team conducted a detailed assessment, ensuring the programme met contractual requirements, was logically robust, and aligned with delivery milestones. This work enabled Amey to resolve schedule issues and gain programme acceptance – a critical step in maintaining contractual compliance and progressing the works.

2022 Onwards – Embedded Programme Controls Support

From 2022, Xacom provided ongoing programme controls, reporting, and schedule management support to Amey’s Systems Integration team. Their role included:

  • Programme Planning & Control – Strengthening Amey’s programme plan by embedding best-practice scheduling techniques and ensuring accurate representation of interfaces across 21 sites.
  • Reporting & Analytics – Producing clear, data-driven reporting packs that gave Amey’s leadership and Tideway visibility of progress, risks, and critical paths.
  • Risk & Mitigation Support – Working with Amey’s delivery teams to highlight potential schedule risks and provide scenario modelling to inform decision-making.
  • Collaboration & Integration – Supporting coordination across multiple contractors and stakeholders, helping to align programme reporting with Tideway’s wider project governance.

Value Delivered

Xacom’s involvement strengthened Amey’s ability to manage one of the most complex infrastructure systems integration programmes in the UK. By combining technical schedule assurance with pragmatic reporting support, Xacom helped ensure the programme remained on track and compliant.

The benefits included:

  • Gaining NEC3 programme acceptance and avoiding contractual disputes.
  • Improved visibility and confidence in programme performance for Amey and Tideway.
  • Enhanced decision-making capability through robust reporting and schedule analytics.
  • Providing trusted external expertise that complemented Amey’s internal delivery teams.

Testimonial

“Xacom helped us to gain control of our programme in particular our programme plan. This is exemplified by their professionalism and willingness to go over and above what is expected of them.”
– Thomas Kinnear, Highways & Utilities Director, Advisory & Analytics

Celebration

Xacom was honoured to join the celebration at Bazalgette Embankment for the official opening of Tideway London on the 10th September 2025.

The event marked the completion of London’s remarkable “super sewer”, a project designed to protect the River Thames and leave a lasting legacy for the city. It was inspiring to see so many colleagues, partners, and stakeholders come together to celebrate this once-in-a-generation achievement.

With an inspiring speech from Andy Mitchell CBE and a fantastic show provided by the dance artists, it was an event to be remembered.

It was also great to share the evening with the remarkable team who made this milestone possible, a powerful reminder of the impact of collaboration and engineering excellence.

For more information about this amazing infrastructure project visit – https://www.tideway.london

 

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