Evergreen and Simatech jointly operating South India Gulf Express service
Kochi: - The newly launched South India Gulf Express(SGE) service from Indian Subcontinent to Middle East made the maiden call at the International Container Trans-shipment Terminal(ICTT), Vallarpadam.
The service run by Evergreen Shipping Line and Simatech is the latest service to Middle East from South India. The service has a port rotation of Cochin-Colombo-Jebel Ali-Cochin with a transit time of 8 days to & from Jebel Ali and is a weekly service calling Cochin every Monday.
M.V. Sea Bright, berthed at the ICTT on 18th June 2012. The vessel had an exchange of 434 TEUs with 124 TEUs Imports and 310 TEUs Exports.
In a function organized on board the vessel, DP World Cochin welcomed the vessel at berth. Mr. Lin Sheng-Chia; President, Capt. Chen Da-Kun; Jr. Vice President, Mr. P. Chandramohan, Jr. Vice President, and Mr. P.G.Vishesh, Branch Manager, represented Evergreen Line. Mr. Paul Antony IAS.;
Chairman, Dr. Unnikrishnan Nair; Traffic Manager and Capt Paul. N. Joseph, Deputy Conservator represented Cochin Port Trust. Mr. K. K. Krishnadas and the heads of the departments represented DP World Cochin.
A memento was presented to Captain Hla Maw Tun, by Mr. K. K. Krishnadas, C.E.O, DP World Cochin and Mr. Paul Antony I.A.S, Chairman Cochin Port Trust.
Mr. Anil Singh, Senior Vice President & Managing Director of DP World Subcontinent, said “ICTT is gradually becoming the most sought after terminal in India for foreign shipping lines. DP World's philosophy is to constantly provide the best service to its clients and this latest achievement by ICTT is a reflection of the growing faith of the trade on the ability of the terminal to perform beyond its promise”
Speaking on the occasion Mr. K. K. Krishnadas, CEO, DP World Cochin said “The service is in addition to the two other mainline services calling ICTT to Europe and China and has the fastest transit time to Jebel Ali from South India. With this service commencing, ICTT has 8 direct calls to Jebel Ali every month. The service will be beneficial for the exporters and importers from Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka hinterlands. At ICTT we strive continuously to bring more such services for the benefit of the trade.”
Vallarpadam Terminal is the largest single operator Container Terminal in India and the first in the country to operate in a special economic zone. With a productivity of 30 moves per hour per crane, ICTT is comparable with the best international ports. The vessel related charges at ICTT is also the cheapest in the region comparable to other transshipment ports like Colombo and Singapore.
Connecting key South Indian markets like Bangalore, Coimbatore, Tirupur and Salem, the port has convenient access to rail, road and sea to important south India ports like Tuticorin and Mangalore, making it a crucial backbone to the south Indian hinterland, which contributes to a quarter of India's trade volume. Barging operations using the inland water ways of Kerala, gives the terminal safer and eco-friendly connections to the markets, seldom seen in most other terminals.
