Peel Ports’ flagship deepwater container terminal, Liverpool2, welcomed its largest regular caller to date when the 2M Alliance (Maersk and MSC) introduced a new transatlantic container service to the port beginning July 22, 2018.

2M is switching its TA2 service from Felixstowe to Liverpool on a temporary basis. At the same time, Maersk Line’s South American service, Colombia Express, will also start calling at the port of Liverpool, exporting UK goods to Newark.

Liverpool will be the final port of call for both weekly services as they head westbound across the Atlantic. The ships will load UK export cargo such as Scotch whisky, food products, and machinery.  The new services will also see the Port of Liverpool open up direct links with the US ports of Charleston and Savannah.

“This news demonstrates the impact which our investment in Liverpool2 has had in re-shaping UK logistics, and disrupting traditional approaches to shipping,” said Mark Whitworth, chief executive of Peel Ports. “It is also testament to the progress we’ve made at Liverpool and the efforts we’ve made to strengthen our relationships with major lines. Our objective is now to secure these or similar services in the long-term by delivering the cost, congestion and carbon emission benefits that Liverpool2 in particular will offer shipping lines and cargo owners.”

“As one of the largest UK wine importers, this is great news for our business,” said Michael Forde of Kingsland Drink. “It means we’ll be able to ship more goods closer to our bottling, storage, and distribution facilities in the northwest, allowing us to maintain our reliable and cost-effective service for the benefit of our customers.”

“After resuming a service in Liverpool two years ago, via a feeder connection, we have been able to offer flexibility to our customers in the northwest region,” said Asbjorn Kops, trade and marketing director of Maersk. “Switching our transatlantic service temporarily to Liverpool allows us to maintain our comprehensive UK offering with a wide range of connections to our global network.”

MSC has been connecting Liverpool to global routes since 2001, noted Dan Everitt, Managing Director of MSC UK. “Having Liverpool as a temporary Transatlantic NEUATL2 alternative,” he added, “allows MSC to continue to offer customer access to the global market during a time of operational constraints in the UK’s port network. MSC relies on the full breadth of its UK port network to continuously evaluate the best service options for our customers.”

The TA2 and Colombia Express routes will use a range of vessels up to 8500 TEU. The larger vessels will call at Liverpool2 with smaller vessels using Royal Seaforth Container Terminal.

Earlier this year Peel Ports introduced a rail freight service directly from the Port of Liverpool in partnership with DB Cargo. It is now the only major UK container terminal to offer tri-modal connectivity, with road, rail and water, the Manchester Ship Canal, plus short-sea shipping.