Maersk’s new AE66 service links Korea, Japan and China to the Kaliningrad Region in Russia, the Baltic countries, and Poland through Trans-Siberian.
The new Sea-Rail-Sea service runs west-bound fortnightly departing from the seaport of Vostochniy in Russia Far East (at the Pacific to Kaliningrad on the Baltic Sea, with robust outlooks for further expansion.)
Transit times of the new regular service are reduced vs purely Ocean services: it is said to be able to transport goods in less than 20 days from Busan to Kaliningrad and the adjacent locations in the Baltics region, compared to an average of 55-60 days for Ocean routes via the Suez Canal.
The company states that fixed sailings in Asia as well as stable departures by Trans-Siberian Rail from Vostochniy will enable highly reliable on-time delivery, similar to AE19 and AE77 services, the other Sea- Rail-Sea services currently offered by A.P. Moller – Maersk.
The choice for AE66 to carry items from Asia via Vostochniy was determined by multiple factors, such as free on board (FOB) price, sustainable transit time and overall logistics expense to bring goods to our production factory in Kaliningrad. Maersk’s aim to diversify its supply chain and eliminate risks of delay caused by COVID19, is also said to be solved by AE66 by enabling Maersk to source Terephthalic Acid (TPA) from multiple locations in Asia.
Sustainable operations and stable schedules for the new AE66 service are said to be ensured through close interaction and support by RU Federal Customs (FTS) and Russian Railways. Port operations are provided by Global Ports, while rail services are handled by TransContainer JSC.
Maersk plans to further increase volume by targeting customer segments dealing with high value and/or lead-time-sensitive cargos, such as Automotive, Electric, and Facilities sectors.
Source: Maersk
