"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. АЕ19 Eastbound is launched by Maersk to develop АЕ19 service from Asia to Europe launched in August 2019", the company said in a press release.
According to the statement, the first such block train carrying sawn timber and chemical cargo from the ports of northern Europe departed from the Saint Petersburg Big Port on mainland Russia's western tip to the Vostochny Port on the eastern tip via the Russian Railways network on 28 March.
Getting cargo from northern Europe to Korea and Japan via this route is scheduled to take 23-32 days as opposed to 52-57 days that it usually takes by sea transit via the Suez Canal, the company said.
According to the statement, transit containers will be shipped from FCT to VSC biweekly, with the next shipment set to take place on 8 April.
