Dedicated feeder services begin at Tuticorin

Tuticorin Container Terminal (TCT), operated by PSA SICAL Terminals Ltd, has announced the commencement of dedicated feeder services by Maersk and Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) at its terminal.

This will help ensure highest reliability and shortest transit time in connecting to mainline ships in Colombo. Tuticorin is now among the first ports in India to have dedicated feeders from MSC, a company release said.

S R Ramakrishnan, managing director, PSA SICAL Terminals Ltd, said that the deployment of dedicated feeders in Tuticorin, instead of common feeders, was a testimony of its superior infrastructure, service and reliability.

The new services will provide additional capacity of more than 3,000 TEUs (Twenty foot Equivalent Units) a week in ocean-connectivity, he added.

MSC vessels will call on TCT once every week while Maersk will send two weekly services to the terminal.

The addition of these shipping services, together with the ongoing infrastructure developments at TCT, which include the construction of container-freight stations (CFS), inland container depot (ICD) and the 4-laning of the roads, will strengthen TCT's position as the preferred port, the release added.