New Russia/Sweden feeder service

摘要

Fast-expanding X-Press Container Line has introduced a call at Gothenburg in its weekly shortsea service between northern Europe and Russia. It will mainly appeal to Russian exporters, as the port is only served on the way back to northern Europe. The service will also complement X-Press Container Line's other feeder connections for deepsea cargo from Kotka and Gothenburg to Zeebrugge, Amsterdam and Hamburg. Deploying two vessels averaging 890TEU, the weekly schedule now starts in Hamburg, then calls at St Petersburg (Russia), Kotka (Finland), Gothenburg (Sweden), Zeebrugge, and Amsterdam. As explained in 'Feeding the bear' (see Russian supplement, pp20-22), the call at Kotka is particularly attractive at this time of year because of peak season congestion in nearby St Petersburg. The seasonal problem there appears to have already started, as Unifeeder, the largest feeder operator in the Baltic, has just introduced a penalty charge of EUR250 (USD370) per container on all boxes discharged in St Petersburg that have not been taken out of the terminal within 10 days after the day of unloading.