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New reefer express to call in Tilbury
[ March 29, 2017 // Chris ]Tilbury’s London Container Terminal (LCT) is to handle Seatrade’s new Meridian fast reefer service from the Pacific, New Zealand, Peru and US East Coast which is due to make its first UK call in late March. The service is operated with eight 2,500teu vessels.
This new scheduled service will trim 9 days from the existing New Zealand – UK connection and improve frequency of northbound sailings from fortnightly to every 10 days. The service which will offer both reefer and dry cargo capacity and is expected to handle volumes of apples, kiwi fruit, frozen goods, wines and yachts from New Zealand and fruit, vegetables and frozen fish from Peru and the US.
Seatrade’s sister company, Streamlines has been calling at (LCT) since the inception of the Blue Stream service in 2016, another specialist reefer service connecting Central America to the UK and Europe.
The Meriden service rotation will be: Rotterdam, Dunkirk, Radicatel (Le Havre), Papeete, Noumea, Nelson, Napier, Tauranga, Callao, Paita, Philadelphia, Zeebrugge and Tilbury.
LCT asset manager, Ross McKissock, said the announcement was “testament to the unique proposition that London Container Terminal offers customers with the closest point of access to the London market, industry leading turnaround times and access to Europe’s largest perishables hub on quay.
“The UK has a strong connection with New Zealand and this rapid route for reefers will ensure that goods arrive quickly and efficiently for the UK market. The service enhances our coverage of the Pacific and US East Coast cementing our position as a leading player in the highly specialised reefer market and offering importers a cost effective Transatlantic and Trans Pacific route to the UK.”
