First Container Terminal (FCT) and Vostochnaya Stevedoring Company (VSC), both parts of Global Ports Group, begin servicing an АЕ19 Eastbound transit intermodal service to deliver containers from Europe to Asia via the territory of Russia, Global Ports Group says in a press release. АЕ19 Eastbound is launched by Maersk to develop АЕ19 service from Asia to Europe launched in August 2019.
On March 28, 2020 the first block train departed from FCT (the Big Port of Saint Petersburg) to VSC (the Vostochny Port). The train carries 37 TEUs of sawn goods and chemical cargo from the ports of Northern Europe which upon arrival to VSC will be loaded on Maersk vessels to be delivered to consignees in ports of Korea and Japan.
Transit time from Northern Europe to Korea and Japan is planned to be about 23-32 days depending on a port of dispatch against 52-57 if shipped by sea via the Suez Canal. Transportation vis the Russian Railways network is organized by Maersk in partnership with a transportation and forwarding company Modul.
Transit containers will be shipped from FCT to VSC biweekly, the next shipment to take place on 8 April.
АЕ19 service was launched by Maersk in August 2019 in partnership with Global Ports and Modul to deliver transit cargo from Asia to Europe via the ports of Vostochny and Saint Petersburg. АЕ19 ensures minimum transit time to deliver cargo from Asian countries to Northern Europe by land.