TAIWAN'S Evergreen Marine Corp will start serving Sunderland in northeast England on a regular basis using its UK east-coast feeder service from September 1.
Comar Container Line operated this twice-weekly service on behalf of Evergreen as a link between Thamesport and Grangemouth to the end of June.
''The service will offer a cost-effective alternative to road transport,'' said an Evergreen spokesman.
Evergreen will be able to offer Sunderland bills of lading for cargo destined for, or originating in North America, the Far East and India.
''The only container railhead in the north east is Cleveland but it is not linked to Thamesport by block train services due to lack of volume,'' the Evergreen spokesman said.
''Therefore, for importers and exporters in this area, shipping via the port of Sunderland has to be an attractive alternative.'' Short-sea shipping was the most environmentally friendly and efficient mode of transport available for domestic transport, he said.