News / New India-Europe Express service a game-changer, says Hapag-Lloyd

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A new container service to link ports in eastern India with the Mediterranean and north Europe is set to launch in October by THE Alliance members and Cosco and its subsidiary, OOCL.

The South East India-Europe Express (IEX) service will feature calls along India’s eastern coast and the transhipment hub of Colombo for feeder services coming from the Bangladeshi textile export gateway of Chittagong.

“Our customers have been talking to us about their growing needs in the Indian and Bangladeshi markets, and we have been listening,” said Maximilian Rothkopf, Hapag-Lloyd’s chief operating officer.

“The introduction of the IEX is a game-changer, as it will be the first dedicated direct service from south-east India to Europe, offering connectivity to the global network of Hapag-Lloyd.

The service will deploy nine 6,500 teu vessels, four of which will be operated by Hapag-Lloyd.

It will also include a call at Cosco’s Mediterranean hub of Piraeus and direct calls at the main northern European ports of Antwerp, Rotterdam, Hamburg, Le Havre and London Gateway.

“Cosco will leverage the major hub of Piraeus to offer comprehensive coverage at Black Sea and Adriatic, along with swift transit to central Europe and the Balkans by land-sea express,” Cosco said.

The full port rotation is: Visakhapatnam – Krishnapatnam – Chennai – Tuticorin – Colombo – Cochin – Damietta – Piraeus – Rotterdam – London Gateway – Hamburg – Antwerp – Le Havre – Damietta – Jeddah – Colombo – Visakhapatnam.