The 1,500 kilometre transport and logistics network will connect the entire UAE as well as provide a link to the rest of the Gulf.  The railway will connect the UAE to Saudi Arabia via Ghweifat city in the West and Oman via Al Ain in the East. Union Railway Company manages the development, construction and operation of the UAE's national railway.UBS Investment Bank is acting as adviser on the development of a strategic financing plan for the construction and operation of the USD11bn Union Railway in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Parsons Brinckerhoff Inc and Systra won contracts for management and preliminary engineering consultancy work on the 40 billion-dirham ($11bn) project.Well, last week we got to know that Union Railway has received prequalification documents from contractors for the first two construction contracts on the Phase I of the UAE's  railway. The 2 contracts are an estimated AED 300 million ($82 million) enabling works and earth moving package and an estimated AED 2 billion ($545 million) civil and track works package.Companies submitted prequalification documents on November 22 for the civil and track works. The groups that submitted documents include:1. Acciona (Spain)2. Advanced Rail Group (local or Australia)3. Al-Futtaim Carillion (local/UK) - Saif bin Darwish (local)4. Al Geemi and Partners Contracting (local) Al-Arrab Contracting Company (Saudi Arabia)5. Al Jaber Group (local) - China Railway Construction Corporation (China)6. Arabtec Engineering Services (local) - Salini (Italy)7. Astaldi (Italy) - Nurol (Turkey) - Al Meraikhi (local)8. Cebarco (Bahrain) - WCT (Malaysia)9. Consolidated Contractors Company (CCC) (Athens based) - OHL (Spain)10. GS Engineering and Construction (South Korea) - Laing O'Rourke (UK)11. Naboodah Contracting (local)12. Fujita Corporation (Japan) - Sagar Infra Rail International (Siril) (India)13. Hochtief (Germany)14. Hyundai (South Korea) - Ghantoot (local)15. Ircon International (India) - Tafseer Contracting (local)16. Larsen and Toubro (India) - Balfour Beatty (UK) - Kier Construction (UK)17. Obayashi Corporation (Japan) - Mitsubishi Corporation (Japan)18. Orascom (Egypt) - Implenia (Spain)19. Samsung (South Korea) - Impregilo (Italy) - Tristar (local)20.Saudi Binladin Group (Saudi Arabia)21. Strabag (Austria) - Joannou and Paraskevaides (Cyprus) - China Railway22. Construction Corporation (China)23. Tecnimont (Italy) - Saipem (Italy) - Ascon (local) - Dodsal (India)24. Yepi Merkezi (Turkey) - Arabian Construction Company (ACC) (local/Lebanon) - Aktor (Greece)Mr Richard Bowker CEO of Union Railway said that the winning bidder will complete site preparation and site clearance work earthworks including cut and fill operations at the Liwa sand dunes, the construction of utilities, access roads and highway diversions and buildings including warehouses and facilities for railway operations and maintenance and track work which involves the supply and installation of ballast, sleepers, rails, switches and crossingsThe first phase of the project is a 270-kilometer freight rail line linking Abu Dhabi's Shah sour gas field to Ruwais on the Persian Gulf coast, to transport granulated sulfur for export.UPDATE 1.According to Railway Gazette, Union Railway announced on January 23 that it plans to call tenders in MarchThe winning bidders will be named by mid-2011, allowing construction work to get underway in the second half of this year.