The Shipping Corporation of India (SCI), in partnership with Hull & Hatch Lines Ltd of UAE, has launched a new service, Red Sea – India Express Service (RIX), connecting India’s two west coast ports with Red Sea ports, according to shipping industry sources. The port rotation is: JN Port-Mundra-Aden-Djibouti-Hodeidah-Jeddah-Port Sudan-Aqaba-JN port. Two vessels, each with an average capacity of 1,350 TEUs, will operate on the route on a 12-day frequency.
The service will also be integrated with SCI’s existing services to and from Europe, West Asia and Far East connecting Red Sea ports, the sources add.
The Dubai-based Hull & Hatch Lines operates liner services to and from the Indian sub-continent, South-East Asia, West Asia and Africa.
Meanwhile, SCI has launched a Kolkata-Colombo weekly feeder service, in partnership with Seaways Shipping. Two vessels of the nominal capacity of 1000/1100 TEUs have been deployed on the route. However, due to draft restriction in the Hooghly river, not more than 700 TEUs might be carried at an average 14-tonne load each box. This is for the first time, SCI launched a feeder service on the country’s east coast.