The Port of Liverpool's longest established container line has doubled its
weekly sailings to Spain to offer shippers a seaborne alternative to
trucking cargo overland.
MacAndrews, which operated conventional services from the Mersey before
switching to a container operation in the late 1960s, has launched a
fixed-day Tuesday sailing to Bilbao to complement its long established
Thursday service on the same route.
The introduction of the 448 teu Doerte from Tuesday (12th Oct) brings
MacAndrews sailings out of the Seaforth Container Terminal to three a week -
two to Spain and one to Portugal. In addition, the line's parent company CMA
CGM, has a weekly service from Liverpool to Le Havre.
Said MacAndrews' Managing Director Geoff Smith: "Upgrading the Spanish
service is a direct response to growing customer demand to transfer cargo
from road to sea. With a Tuesday and Thursday sailing from Liverpool,
MacAndrews offers a level of frequency and reliability which shippers
increasingly recognise as commercially competitive and environmentally
preferable to
overland haulage."
The Doerte maintains a sailing schedule of Liverpool, Montoir, Bilbao,
Dublin, Liverpool.
Mersey Docks' Director of Marketing Frank Robotham, said: "MacAndrews'
decision to now offer a twice weekly service to Northern Spain is great
news. This innovative approach by the line offers a real alternative to
overland routes and reflects the strength of cargo support from the North
West Region."