NOVEMBER 2018 | MANE RAIL & INFRASTRUCTURE | 13
Starting in Acton, west London, it travels through the centre of the city at depths of up to 30 to 60 metres deep, and uses gravity to transfer waste towards the east of London. Various pumping stations for the Thames Tideway which operates mainly parallel to the river will help to transfer the waste to Abbey Mills pumping station which then takes it towards its end destination of Beckton Sewage Treatment works.
Once the tunnel is complete, it is estimated that Thames sewage discharge will have decreased by a whopping 95%, meaning a better life for the creatures that live on the river as well as a better environment for London and its residents.
At the current stage of the project, the main works and preliminary construction have begun and the boring of tunnels is well underway. Initial project outlines suggest the secondary lining of the tunnels begins in 2019, with work due to be completed in 2023.
Thames Tideway has been great for helping the London economy too as the project has partnered with charities as well as provided thousands of jobs from experienced staff to apprentices. The charities Thames Reach and The 999 Club worked in collaboration with Tideway to provide those who were homeless or in bad positions chances to work on the scheme helping turn lives around.
Thames Tideway is going to be a revolutionary infrastructure for the capital and whilst many efforts are in place to ensure that London looks great above the ground, the works are going on in the foundations to make sure it works well under the ground too.