Hapag-Lloyd has come up with an innovative possible solution for customers looking to bypass current wait times at California ports. It has reworked its Mediterranean Gulf Coast Express (MGX) service,adding a US East Coast stop at the Port of Virginia. Cargo bound for the country’s West Coast moves from there by rail to California.
Both Hapag-Lloyd and Virginia are emphasizing that the new stop is not aimed at the Eastern US, but as a way to move goods more quickly to California.
Stephen A Edwards, CEO and executive director of the Virginia Port Authority, said that the new offering was “an innovative decision by one of our long-time customers to take advantage of our efficiency and our rail reach into the Midwest. t’s a unique service, but it is indicative of a very challenging trade environment. We welcomed the opportunity to be part of the solution for cargo owners on the West Coast.”
The weekly service began operating in mid-April with arrival of the Synergy Antwerp at Norfolk International Terminals. Nearly 1,000 of the vessel’s containers were moved via Norfolk Southern to Chicago where they were switched to another rail carrier that moved them to the ports of Los Angeles and Oakland.
