A2B-online Container expand its services from Moerdijk offering a unique concept to the Humber
A2B-online Container expand its services from Moerdijk offering a unique concept to the Humber
- Fifth vessel will be operational as from 5th October 2015
- 8 x sailings per week to and from ABP’s terminal in Immingham
‘ Yes in a way it is unique’ reacts Managing Director and shareholder Gerard de Groot, ‘ we will provide our customers 8 x sailings a week from Moerdijk to Immingham and vice versa. There is not a single other short sea operator who offers this in the market. We have always focused on increasing the frequency instead of putting more tonnage to the market only. Frequency and reliability are key elements in the short sea market segment and that is what distinguish us. Our customers identify this and they respond to it as well to ship more and more with us’.
He continues enthusiastically : ‘ What we have established in just two years is quite remarkable, the fifth container vessel a Sietas 151, a 508 TEU ship will be added to the fleet and management by Holwerda Shipping a very well-known Dutch ships owner. The MS ‘A2B Future’ is our second vessel that we own. At the beginning of this year we took the MS ‘Expansa’ over, which was already chartered by us.
Container train connection Milaan - Moerdijk
The decision to increase our capacity was a logical step after the start of a dedicated container train connection between Milano and Moerdijk earlier this month’ adds Andre Mast, Commercial Director of A2B-online Container. Besides this, a number of other projects will start in October, which will generate additional volume is our expectation’.
This intermodal link has three departures and arrivals per week and is operated by IFB ( Inter Ferry Boats ) the Belgian rail operator.
‘Of course we are excited by the fact that, in cooperation with some major customers and IFB, this train connection has been realized’.
Luc Smits, the Managing Director of CCT Moerdijk, adds ‘ we have invested in new cranes and we have invested in additional reach stackers as well to ensure a smooth operation at both the rail - and the maritime side’. Naturally we are as proud as A2B-online Container is in what we all have achieved and it is giving us all a thrill that it has been recognized by their customers as well’.
Gerard de Groot continues: ‘this is indeed correct, a number of our customers have decided to use Moerdijk as one of their main hubs or depot including container repair’.
Capacity Londen Thamesport
‘Besides the increase of the frequency to Immingham we will be increasing capacity to London Thamesport with 25% as well. This is quite substantial and again customers have identified that this port in the South is extremely well organized with very quick turnaround times. This of course improves the productivity and efficiency we are all looking for’ de Groot concludes.
Main shareholder Kees Vierhouten of A2B-online , finalizes: ‘surrounded with the expertise and knowledge we knew that we could develop an interesting product for the customer. We have invested in this product as we are convinced that it will contribute to the logistics of short sea transport. On top of this we have also recently invested in another 250 x new 13.60 mtr A2B-online trailers giving the customer the opportunity to make use even more of the total package that we offer them in short sea transport.
The name of the ship ‘A2B Future ‘describes it all: there is a bright future for the Group and I am pleased that I can participate in my own way in this’!
