The Port of Oakland is gaining new first port of call business. MOL America Inc. inaugurated its new Pacific Southwest Service (PSX) Friday, June 24, 2005 at 11:00 a.m. at Middle Harbor Shoreline Park in the heart of the Oakland seaport.
In announcing the PSX service, Ray Keene, Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President of MOL (America) Inc., said, "MOL continues to develop and implement innovative solutions for customers that add value. The PSX service offers much more than an Oakland first call. This service has been built from the ground up; from deploying our fastest E-class vessels to establishing the necessary intermodal support, the PSX will give our customers scheduling flexibility, fast delivery, and strengthen our overall Pacific Southwest service profile."
International trade is steadily increasing with an influx of shipping from Asia, "We are very excited to have MOL bringing new business to Oakland with the inauguration of its Pacific Southwest Express service," said Port of Oakland Director of Maritime Wilson Lacy. "This is the sixth first inbound deployment currently calling Oakland, and demonstrates a commitment by MOL - as a member of the New World Alliance of MOL, APL, and Hyundai Merchant Marine - to open northern California as an intermodal gateway. This will help relieve congestion in southern California and speed cargoes from Asia to American markets," said Lacy.
The new MOL service will provide customers with dedicated train service from the near-dock BNSF rail facility (Oakland International Gateway) to the mid-West (i.e. Kansas City, Chicago). Vice President International Intermodal BNSF Railway Company Fred Malesa said, "MOL's new transpacific service (PSX) is an important service offering for the international shipping community. We are proud to be their partner by providing rail-intermodal service from Oakland to the Mid-West and beyond."
