Tender to be Available in March, Contracts Awarded Mid-2011

Abu Dhabi, 23 January 2011: Union Railway, the master developer and operator of the UAE's national railway, today announced that it will tender civil engineering contracts in March. Construction is planned to commence in mid-2011 following the naming of the winning company.

At this stage, Union Railway is prequalifying bidders to begin the implementation of the first phase of railway network - the 270 km Shah Habshan Ruwais section. The scope of work of this initial phase, also known as Stage 0, includes earthworks, laying down the track, building the railway bridges, installing the communications and signaling systems, as well as the construction of the depot and project offices at Mirfa. The next two phases of the project will see the establishment of a network in Abu Dhabi and Dubai (Stage 1), and a network in the Northern Emirates (Stage 2).

Commenting on the tender, Union Railway CEO Richard Bowker said, "The development of an integrated and modern railway network is critical to enhancing the current freight transport system and driving economic growth in the UAE. A large number of leading international companies have expressed interest in competing in the prequalification, thereby allowing us to select the best partner to undertake the first steps in constructing the network."

Union Railway has appointed ATKINS as the Preliminary Engineering Services Consultant to oversee the execution of the three stages of the UAE's railway network, with the reselection of the Project Management Consultant soon to follow.  ATKINS has already begun work on the flagship project and the preliminary design for the Shah Habshan Ruwais line is to be completed next month. When complete, the railway will serve the whole country via a 1200km-long safe and cost-efficient rail network.

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About Union Railway
The Union Railway Company was established in June 2009 under Federal Law no. 2, with a mandate to manage the development, construction and operation of the UAE's national freight and passenger railway network.

The railway network will be built in phases to link the principal centers of population and industry of the UAE, as well as to form a vital part of the planned GCC railway network linking the six countries of the UAE - the State of Kuwait, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Kingdom of Bahrain, the State of Qatar, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and the Sultanate of Oman.

Built to international standards, Union Railway's state of the art network will enable the rapid transport of passengers and freight, opening up new trade corridors and journey opportunities. Once complete, it will redefine logistics and transport in the region, providing as a safe, efficient, sustainable network that links all corners of the UAE, and eventually, the UAE to the wider GCC.

For further enquiries, please contact:
Sameh Zaki, Hill & Knowlton
Tel: +971 5090 46741
Email: sameh.zaki@hillandknowlton.com  

Dalia Moujaes, Union Railway
Tel: +971 2 4999 999
Email: Dalia.Moujaes@unionrailway.com

© Press Release 2011