Peel Ports doubles Rotterdam service

BG Freight Line, the short-sea feeder specialist owned by Peel Ports, is to add a second weekly sailing to Liverpool in response to demand from logistics operators.

The Jork Ruler and Doris Schepers ships will join the Margareta B to provide a twice-weekly connection between Rotterdam and Liverpool. The Jork Ruler will also service Dublin, while the Doris Schepers and Margareta B will serve Belfast. The upgrade comes a year after Rotterdam-based BG Freight launched its first service to the Port of Liverpool, which is also owned and operated by Peel Ports.

The additional sailing will add more timely connections for logistics firms to discharge effectively onto Peel Ports' Manchester Ship Canal container shuttle service, which is expected to move in excess of 20,000 containers in 2013. The shuttle service is used by Kellogg's, Kingsland Wines, Princes Foods and Regatta Clothing.

Ross Thompson, commercial director of Peel Ports, said: "The launch of this second weekly service confirms both a response to increased intra-European short-sea demand, as well as our commitment to further enhance deep-sea schedule synchronisation and integrity between Rotterdam and the growing NW Port and markets. The new service reflects Peel Ports' intention to invest across our services so that we can offer our customers the most efficient and cost-effective routes to their markets."

The extra service will launch in June.