THE Union Railway company has awarded engineering and consultancy deals for its $11-billion rail project to link the UAE and plans to tender the first construction contracts early next year, its CEO Richard Bowker said.

A joint venture of the US’ Parsons and France’s Systra has been awarded a project management contract for the network while Parsons Brinckerhoff, a unit of the UK’s Balfour Beatty, was awarded a preliminary engineering contract for phases one and two of the project, Bowker said. “In early 2011, we will tender for construction contracts for phase zero to build the railway line,” he said.

The UAE railway will comprise three phases. The zero phase will build a railway in Abu Dhabi for which the preliminary engineering was done by UK’s WS Atkins. The next phase involve a railway line between Abu Dhabi and Dubai while the final phase will link the Northern Emirates. The project is expected to be completed by 2017. Union Railway is examining various financing options and has appointed UBS as financial adviser.