FINNISH ferry company Eckero Line has started a service connecting Vuosaari in Finland with the port of Muuga, where HHLA TK Estonia - a wholly-owned subsidiary of Germany's Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG (HHLA) - operates a multi-functional terminal.
The new connection is expected to boost HHLA TK Estonia's position as a ro/ro hub in the Baltic region, as the focus of the new line is on truck and trailer traffic.
Twice daily, the RoPax ferry Finbo Cargo enters the port of Muuga, which is located 20 kilometres east of the Estonian capital, Tallinn. On the Finnish side, Vuosaari is situated in the east of Helsinki. The Finbo Cargo has a transport capacity of 2,000 lane metres for trucks, trailers and also passenger cars.
The increasing flow of goods between Estonia and Finland prompted Eckero Line to expand its services with the new RoPax ferry connection between Muuga and Vousaari, in order to unbundle freight and passenger traffic, as well as relieve urban centres of truck traffic.
The shipping company already operates a ferry between the Estonian and Finnish capitals Tallinn and Helsinki. This new ferry connection is the second ro/ro service after Tallinn to connect Muuga with Finland.
HHLA TK Estonia CEO Vladimir Popov said in a statement: 'Muuga continues to develop into a multimodal ro/ro hub and is an important component of HHLA's network strategy.'
'We see great potential in the route and want to be involved in its development. Our cargo figures have been growing well in recent years,' said Eckero Line managing director Taru Keronen. He added that the new route will 'accelerate the shift to Vuosaari for heavy traffic and create a new alternative for cargo and car travel.'
The terminal operator believes that truck traffic via Muuga to Belarus, Ukraine and western Europe has 'excellent growth potential'. It also highlighted that the Rail Baltica railway connection from Estonia to the European rail network will have a positive impact on the development of trailer traffic.
WORLD SHIPPING
The new connection is expected to boost HHLA TK Estonia's position as a ro/ro hub in the Baltic region, as the focus of the new line is on truck and trailer traffic.
Twice daily, the RoPax ferry Finbo Cargo enters the port of Muuga, which is located 20 kilometres east of the Estonian capital, Tallinn. On the Finnish side, Vuosaari is situated in the east of Helsinki. The Finbo Cargo has a transport capacity of 2,000 lane metres for trucks, trailers and also passenger cars.
The increasing flow of goods between Estonia and Finland prompted Eckero Line to expand its services with the new RoPax ferry connection between Muuga and Vousaari, in order to unbundle freight and passenger traffic, as well as relieve urban centres of truck traffic.
The shipping company already operates a ferry between the Estonian and Finnish capitals Tallinn and Helsinki. This new ferry connection is the second ro/ro service after Tallinn to connect Muuga with Finland.
HHLA TK Estonia CEO Vladimir Popov said in a statement: 'Muuga continues to develop into a multimodal ro/ro hub and is an important component of HHLA's network strategy.'
'We see great potential in the route and want to be involved in its development. Our cargo figures have been growing well in recent years,' said Eckero Line managing director Taru Keronen. He added that the new route will 'accelerate the shift to Vuosaari for heavy traffic and create a new alternative for cargo and car travel.'
The terminal operator believes that truck traffic via Muuga to Belarus, Ukraine and western Europe has 'excellent growth potential'. It also highlighted that the Rail Baltica railway connection from Estonia to the European rail network will have a positive impact on the development of trailer traffic.
WORLD SHIPPING