ST PETERSBURG's Global Ports' First Container Terminal (FCT) welcomed its 100th block train on Maersk's transcontinental AE19 ocean-rail service from Asia to Europe, reported St Petersburg SeaNews.
The 100th train carried 125 TEU laden with equipment, spare parts, accumulators, furniture, clothing and other goods from China, Korea and Taiwan. From FCT, the cargo was loaded aboard Maersk ships bound for Poland and Great Britain.
Trains arrive every four days after an 11 to 12-day journey, mostly carrying car parts, electronics, consumer goods, car batteries from China, Korea, Japan and Taiwan bound for Poland, Germany, the Netherlands, Scandinavia, Finland and Britain, said Maersk's eastern Europe manager Zsolt Katona.
During 2020, the service carried 4,500 TEU; in January-June 2021, 6,200 TEU; up 5.5 fold year-on-year. During the entire 2021, Maersk expects to carry 12,000-14,000 TEU on AE19. Since the service was launched in summer 2019, 10,700 TEU was carried in both directions (westwards and eastwards).
The project developed by Maersk in cooperation with Modul is a success as transit is growing, Albert Likholet noted adding that transit container traffic via Global Ports' FCT and VSC surged six-fold reaching 20,400 TEU in the first half.
In June this year, the share of transit in the group's container throughput made five per cent compared to near zero in 2019 and 2020. AE19 accounts account for more than a half of the transit traffic between Asia and Europe.
There are 14 block trains running between Vostochny and St Petersburg in the framework of AE19, and all of them are 100 per cent booked.
In future, Maersk intends to expand the service geographically and increase frequency. Thus, launching trains from Vostochny to Baku in Azerbaijan and to Turkmenistan is being negotiated with potential partners.
AE19 service was launched in 2019 with the first train leaving Global Ports' VSC terminal in the Russian Far East in July. The eastward service started later, in March 2020.
The rail part is operated by Russia's Modul, and the terminal services are rendered by Global Ports companies.
SeaNews Turkey
The 100th train carried 125 TEU laden with equipment, spare parts, accumulators, furniture, clothing and other goods from China, Korea and Taiwan. From FCT, the cargo was loaded aboard Maersk ships bound for Poland and Great Britain.
Trains arrive every four days after an 11 to 12-day journey, mostly carrying car parts, electronics, consumer goods, car batteries from China, Korea, Japan and Taiwan bound for Poland, Germany, the Netherlands, Scandinavia, Finland and Britain, said Maersk's eastern Europe manager Zsolt Katona.
During 2020, the service carried 4,500 TEU; in January-June 2021, 6,200 TEU; up 5.5 fold year-on-year. During the entire 2021, Maersk expects to carry 12,000-14,000 TEU on AE19. Since the service was launched in summer 2019, 10,700 TEU was carried in both directions (westwards and eastwards).
The project developed by Maersk in cooperation with Modul is a success as transit is growing, Albert Likholet noted adding that transit container traffic via Global Ports' FCT and VSC surged six-fold reaching 20,400 TEU in the first half.
In June this year, the share of transit in the group's container throughput made five per cent compared to near zero in 2019 and 2020. AE19 accounts account for more than a half of the transit traffic between Asia and Europe.
There are 14 block trains running between Vostochny and St Petersburg in the framework of AE19, and all of them are 100 per cent booked.
In future, Maersk intends to expand the service geographically and increase frequency. Thus, launching trains from Vostochny to Baku in Azerbaijan and to Turkmenistan is being negotiated with potential partners.
AE19 service was launched in 2019 with the first train leaving Global Ports' VSC terminal in the Russian Far East in July. The eastward service started later, in March 2020.
The rail part is operated by Russia's Modul, and the terminal services are rendered by Global Ports companies.
SeaNews Turkey
