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Our Bureau

Kochi, March 4

Feeder operator Bengal Tiger Lines (BTL's) has tied up with the Thailand-based Regional Container Lines (RCL) and Japan's mainlines Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL) to directly link Singapore to Laem Chabang in Thailand and Chennai.

Commencing March 23 from Thailand, the parties will each deploy a 1,100-teu vessel on a 21-day round voyage, providing fixed day weekly calls at all ports. The service will be named RMB after its participants – RCL/MOL/BTL.

BTL, a renowned Bay of Bengal Feeder specialist, has in recent years been expanding service coverage as far East as Korea and China and Westward to the Red Sea and Gulf. Additionally, last year a new Taiwan/Philippines shuttle was launched hubbing over Kaoshiung. However, its main trade remains the Chennai market and, with this RMB service, BTL will offer four sailings a week to and from Singapore, a press release issued here said.

Penang call

The Singapore based company is part of the Schoeller Group of Cyprus, which owns over 70 vessels and manages 350 ships. The BTL Chairman, Mr Joachim von der Heydt, said that the service would provide less than 10 days end-to-end transit and, on the return leg, a Penang call will cater to both inbound laden traffic from Chennai, as well as a feeder link to Singapore. In Chennai, the service will call at PSA's new terminal, CITPL.

Chennai is India's main east coast gateway port and is increasingly becoming an important market for consumable products as well as the automobile assembly industry. BTL has been involved in Chennai for over 20 years and operated the first Berth Reservation Scheme which facilitated the start of regular and reliable connectivity.

The exact rotation is as follows: Laem Chabang/Singapore/Port Kelang/Chennai/Penang/Port Kelang/Singapore/Laem Chabang.

Vessel names are m.v. Bani Bhum, m.v MOL Evolution and m.v. Cape Fox.

More Stories on : Alliances & Joint Ventures | Shipping/Ports

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