Shipping company ACL in partnership with BG Freight Line (BGFL) and Peel Ports in Liverpool and Dublin are to provide a new service that will significantly improve transit times and reliability in both directions between Ireland and North America.
The new service is said to have transit times up to two weeks faster than any similar service travelling between Dublin/Belfast and North America via a UK or Continental transshipment port.
Peel ports have said the partnership will offer ‘quicker than ever before’ access to and from the USA and Canada with direct calls at the major ports of Halifax, New York, Baltimore and Norfolk via the Port of Liverpool.
David Huck, Chief Operating Officer at Peel Ports Group, said: “It is a really proud moment to be supporting the fastest ever Ireland to North America container service.
“This is a great example of collaboration between all three parties providing real business benefits for our customers and the marketplace.
David further explained that because Peel Ports operate container terminals in Liverpool and Dublin as well as having BGFL as part of the wider Peel Ports Group, it means the company has much more control over how they manage this service.
ACL’s new schedule will see Liverpool used as the first port in and out of Europe and will not stop at any other intermediate European ports to further reduce the transit times.
To ensure smooth connection both ACL and BGFL have agreed to coordinate schedules to minimise connection times at the Port of Liverpool, as Peel ports say both will be given berth priority.
Koert Luitwieler, CEO at BG Freight Line, said: “This is great news for importers and exporter and a significant upgrade to existing services.
“As well as having a quicker transit time, the reliability of this service will significantly improve due to the additional time we now have in the schedule.
“The fact we’re part of the wider Peel Ports Group, and have a great relationship with ACL, means this should be a real success story for all involved.”
Andrew Abbott, CEO at ACL, added: “This new Irish service is in a totally different league to all other existing sailing options via continental and other UK ports.
“ACL has called at the Port of Liverpool for 57 consecutive years now, so we are excited to further develop what has been a long and productive development with our friends, in a place we consider our home.”
This first eastbound sailing for this new service will be the Atlantic Sun. It set sail from New York on Friday, before it goes onto call at Baltimore, then connecting back into Liverpool with the JSP Anna, which will then arrive in Dublin on May 26 and Belfast on May 27.