Due to commence on 10 February, the new service is set to meet increasing demand for cargo services to and from the north of England, circumventing ports in the south and potentially saving shippers up to £400 ($574)per container, Liverpool Port operator Peel Ports claims.
WEC’s new service will also connect Liverpool with Lisbon, Setubal, Leixoes and Sines and vice versa, with other calls in Ireland, Scotland, Morocco, Spain and the Canary Islands. The group is mulling further opportunities in reefer and consumer goods on the route.
“This is a major new development for us, offering a dedicated, faster and direct container service for our customers in the Iberian Peninsula, North Africa and the Canaries,” said WEC Lines said. “We’re seeing growing demand to ship via Liverpool to provide better access to the heart of the UK.
“The additional supply chain benefits that Peel Ports are able to offer, from quayside services to trimodal transport options, have also been important in our decision. So, our hope is that this will just be a first step towards increasing trade to important UK markets via the North-west.”
Peel Ports sales director Ross Thomson said: “The shape of UK logistics is changing, with the North-west providing shippers the chance to reduce costs, congestion and carbon emissions by getting closer to the end market.”
Copyright © 2024. All rights reserved. Seatrade, a trading name of Informa Markets (UK) Limited. Add Seatrade Maritime News to your Google News feed.