NYK adds extra HK call to Europe

JAPAN'S NYK Line will introduce a second call at Hong Kong on its Far East-Europe service on March 6.

The cargo cut-off time for the Monday service will be 11.30 pm on Sunday.

Currently, a NYK vessel leaves Hong Kong for north Europe every Wednesday.

'With the cut-off time on Sunday night, customers will enjoy more flexibility to handle late cargo to Europe even during the weekend,' a spokesman said.

'Together with the existing mid-week Far East-Europe service, NYK will provide more options for customers to arrange shipments all through the week.' The company will start accepting cargo for the new sailing from next Monday.

NYK had installed a state-of-the-art warehousing and inventory control systems in Europe, the spokesman said.

'With a number of affiliated transport and distribution companies, NYK offers good inland transportation and multi-country consolidation services in Europe.' In a related development, the company is shifting the Bombay call of its Silkroad Express service to the nearby port of Nhava Sheva next month in anticipation of big growth in Indian trade.

The move was partly prompted by the difficult situation at Bombay, caused by industrial action, port congestion and poor productivity, the spokesman said.

The first vessel to call at Nhava Sheva will be Neptune Jasper, which is expected to leave Singapore on March 4.

'Sooner or later Bombay Port, with limited capacity, will not be able to handle the anticipated rapid growth in India's trade volumes,' the spokesman said.

The container facilities at Nhava Sheva's Janaharlal Nehru Port (JNPT) are just 85 km from Bombay.

'With the Central Railway connection, JNPT is far better than Bombay in reaching all important inland container depots in the country,' the spokesman said.

Following the cancellation of calls at Kobe after the recent earthquake, NYK has deployed a feeder ship between Osaka and Kaohsiung in its Europe service as an emergency measure.

The 2,000 teu Oceanus Osaka links Osaka Nanko (south port) and Kaohsiung on a weekly, fixed-day basis for connection to NYK's line-haul ships on the Europe and Mediterranean services.

Meanwhile, NYK and Hapag-Lloyd's revamped joint Far East-Europe service, will first call at Rotterdam instead of the current call at a British port, aiming to improve the transit time to north continent ports.

In their Japan service, Hong Kong will be added on the westbound run.

The Shipping Corp of India said it would resume Kobe calls next month.