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Our Bureau

Kolkata , Sept. 28

JAPANESE shipping line MOL will launch from December a new container service linking ports in India, Pakistan, West Asia and South and East Africa, according to shipping industry sources.

The port rotation will be: Karachi - Nhava Sheva International Container terminal - Jebel Ali - Mombasa - Dar es Salaam - Durban - Dar es Salaam - Mombasa - Karachi. Durban will be the hub port.

The new service, to be offered in partnership with Singapore-based Pacific International Line and Mauritius-based Laurel Navigation Ltd, will have fixed weekly service with six vessels of 850-TEU capacity each. Each line will place two ships, it is learnt. The service is expected to provide a more stable cargo capacity and faster transit times, as compared to the earlier service via Singapore.

The introduction of MOL's new service linking ports in India and Pakistan coincides with the shipping line's plan to upgrade its Asia-South Africa-West Asia (WA1) liner service. The upgraded WAI, to be launched also in December, will replace the current WAI offered jointly with P&O Nedlloyd.

The upgraded service will be offered entirely by MOL with seven 1,800-TEU ships. The likely port rotation is: Hong Kong - Singapore - Port Louis - Tamatave - Durban - Tema - Lagos - Lome - Durban - Port Louis - Colombo - Singapore - Hong Kong.

The second loop, WA3 (Asia - West Africa service), however, will continue as a space charter service from PIL offering six 1,300-TEU capacity vessels on the route covering Singapore - Cape Town - Cotonou - Lagos - Abidjan - Doula - Durban - Singapore.

The upgraded WA1, along with WA3, will cover major ports in West Africa to meet the growing markets needs of the region, offer faster transit time between South Africa and Europe by linking West African and European routes, and provide direct service between Far East Asia, Indian Ocean Islands and South and West Africa, add the industry sources.

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