The joint service to be upgraded is the 'Atlantic Express' or ATX service. Starting from early March 2008, the service will consist of four vessels of 4,000 teu capacity, one of which will be provided by ZIM and the other three from the Grand Alliance.
The service offers weekly, fixed day sailings between the North European ports of Rotterdam, Hamburg, Le-Havre, and Southampton, and the US East Coast ports of New York, Norfolk and Charleston.
The joint service is a continuation of the present ATX service of the Grand Alliance, providing upgraded tonnage and replacing the current NEX service of ZIM.
The lines will replace the four smaller ships of 2,800 teu currently operating on the ATX route with larger, more efficient tonnage. This move will considerably reduce the bunker consumption per slot-mile, offering a more environmentally friendly solution.
The Grand Alliance, formed in 1998, is the leading integrated consortium in global container shipping. Its members are Hapag-Lloyd (Germany), MISC Berhad (Malaysia), NYK (Japan) and OOCL (Hong Kong). MISC Berhad does not provide any trans-Atlantic services.
