MacAndrews Doubles Liverpool-Spain Sailings

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."