Three lines combine for PAX service

A NEW container service between the Far East, North America and Europe will be launched in April by Hapag Lloyd, Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK) and Neptune Orient Lines (NOL).

The fixed-day weekly service - to be known as the Pacific Atlantic Express (PAX) - will utilise 12 vessels of 2,600 to 2,900 20 ft equivalent unit (TEU) capacity under a vessel and space sharing agreement between the three lines.

The vessels to be deployed in the service are NYK's Cape Charles, Cape May, Cape Henry, Astro Prosperity and Kurama; Hapag Lloyd's Duesseldory Express, Koeln Express, Nuernberg Express, Bonn Express, Heidelberg Express and another to be announced; and NOL also is to announce its vessel contribution.

The PAX eastbound service will call at Hongkong, Kaohsiung, Kobe, Nagoya, Tokyo or Yokohama, Oakland, Los Angeles, Savannah, Norfolk, New York, Antwerp, Bremerhaven, Rotterdam and Thamesport.

The PAX westbound service will call at Antwerp, Bremerhaven, Rotterdam, Thamesport, New York, Norfolk, Savannah, Los Angeles, Oakland, Tokyo or Yokohama, Kobe and Hongkong.

Cargoes westbound to Kaohsiung will be discharged during eastbound calls, and westbound to Nagoya through transshipment.

According to a NOL statement, the PAX service is the line's sixth express service to offer services from the Far East to the US east and west coasts and transatlantic services from both coasts of the US to North Europe.

''The launch of the PAX service, with the provision of a transatlantic crossing, forms the final link in NOL's global liner services,'' said a spokesman.

''This is part of NOL's commitment to meet the needs of its customers with the provision of a thorough global transportation service.'' NOL presently operates comprehensive services in three of the world's busiest trade routes, including services in the transpacific, the Far East-Europe and intra-Asia trades.

The PAX service is to be the second all-water service provided by NOL to the US east coast.

NOL presently operates and manages a six-ship express service on its own - the Asia-East Coast express (AEX) - which provides the fastest transit times from Southeast Asia and South Asia to the US east coast and Canada.

NOL provides some of the fastest transit times in the trade, such as 31 days between Hongkong and New York, 30 days to Norfolk, 28 days to Savannah and 16 days to Oakland.

The vessel Cape Charles will launch the new service, loading on April 3 in Hongkong and sailing eastbound from the Far East to the US west coast and US east coast.

At the other end, the Bonn Express will load in New York on April 6 and sail westwards for the US west coast and the Far East. And the Koeln Express will sail westbound from North Europe to the US east coast and US west coast after loading in Bremerhaven on April 3.

NYK, which is one of the world's premier mega-carriers, said it also offered total inland transportation and logistics including road and rail, warehousing, consolidation and distribution all backed by state-of-the-art communications and documentation.