HAPAG-LLOYD has announced it will switch three of its transatlantic services from Thamesport to Southampton in another blow for the UK port.
Hapag-Lloyd to move Transatlantic services from Thamesport to Southampton
The German container line Hapag-Lloyd today announced that it will move the UK call of three of its Transatlantic services from Thamesport to Southampton. As of October, Hapag-Lloyd will modify the rotations of its ‘GAX’ Gulf Atlantic Express (#130), ‘GMX’ Gulf Mexico Express (#131) and ‘PAX’ Pacific Atlantic Express (#132). All three of the services are operated by Hapag-Lloyd, with varying slot allocations for the carrier’s traditional Grand Alliance partners.
The last Thamesport calls are intended for October and Hapag-Lloyd announced that it is to provide schedule details in due course.
Following the move to Southampton, the European port rotations of the three services will be as follows:
- ‘GAX’: …Antwerp, Bremerhaven, Southampton…
- ‘GMX’: …Southampton, Antwerp, Bremerhaven, Le Havre…
- ‘PAX’: …Southampton, Antwerp, Hamburg, Rotterdam…
While Hapag-Lloyd said that the decision had been be taken to improve schedule reliability, the move from the Thames River estuary to the Solent River actually only saves about 50 nautical miles of steaming per round trip. Thus, the choice of Southampton as the services’ new UK call might also have to do with the changing landscape of the UK’s terminal sector in general.
Expansions at Felixstowe and Southampton, as well as the imminent launch of Dubai Port World’s new ‘London Gateway’ port will apparently lead to a consolidation of services and to an increased focus on the ‘new big three’ ports in the UK. Smaller terminals and terminals that come with vessel size limitations such as Thamesport and Tilbury appear to be the loosers of this development.
Its musical chairs for all the shipping lines now thanks to the non union cheap labour at London Gateway. Boris and Mr Cameron must be so VERY proud for kicking Tilbury in the teeth and more or less shutting down Thamesport ( could now make some space for another airport ???? )
Re "Boris and Mr Cameron must be so VERY proud for kicking Tilbury in the teeth and more or less shutting down Thamesport "
ReplyDeleteI hope you don't mind me saying this but what a load of bow locks.
You fail in you story to point out it was the last Labour Government that gave the go ahead for Gateway. So you story should state that Brown not Borris and Dave, kicked the workers in the teeth?
Dave
I do not have a problem with a new port opening as that is just natural progress. What I object to is this current government and Boris letting London Gateway get away with 1940s style of employment as in no fixed shift pattern / rates of pay far below the national average + indicating that if you belong to a union you will not be employed !!!! Of cause DP World will deny that and say " our workers are more than happy with this contract ". I say to you DP World..........Post the shift pattern and terms of conditions of your employees.
ReplyDelete