The International Container Transshipment Terminal (ICTT), Vallarpadam, is set to add another service to its existing direct mainline services this month. The NCS/NCX service of MOL, OOCL and Samudera consortium is scheduled to make weekly direct calls to ICTT from December 18.
NCS/NCX is a mainline service from ICTT to China and the Far East, connecting major destinations such as Singapore, Port Kelang, Hong Kong, Shanghai and other Chinese ports. With faster transit to and from China and Far East, the key south Indian markets such as Bangalore, Coimbatore, Tirupur, Pollachi, Erode and Salem, will have a faster cost effective connectivity to their major suppliers and buyers.
Apart from offering a direct service to China from Kochi, the service also accepts containers from Kochi to US West Coast, Australia and South America with multiple connectivity from Singapore and Shanghai thereby ensuring the fastest transit time from South India to these destinations.
Connectivity by rail to Bangalore and Coimbatore from and to ICTT with a frequency of 4-5 trains per week and good coastal connectivity to ports such as Tuticorin, Mangalore, Kandla and Mundra will facilitate exports and imports from various hinterland locations to use ICTT to connect their containers directly to and from various ports in China, Australia, US West Coast, Far East and South America.
The first vessel MV Irenes Reliance is scheduled to arrive at ICTT on Sunday. The transit time from Kochi to China will now be 15 days compared to about 22-24 days using a feeder vessel to Colombo, a statement issued here said.