Sinokor Merchant Marine and its subsidiary Heung-A Line will restructure their South Korea, Japan and Central China connections, with a restructuring of their service offering.
In the first instance the carriers will launch a Shanghai Tohoku Service (STS) pendulum service that starts from South Korea and serves Central China on one wing and Japan’s Tohoku region on the other.
The first sailing of the restructured service will start with Heung-A Xiamen, on 15 February; the ship will be redeployed from the CTJ2 service.
The new service will replace two services, CTJ2 and JPX, which Sinokor and Heung-A are operating with KMTC Line and Namsung Shipping, respectively. Restructuring the service will see the Japanese port of Shimizu dropped.
The STS’ service loop will be Busan North Port, Busan New Port, Onahama, Sendai, Tomakomai, Akita, Busan New Port, Busan North Port, Ulsan, Gwangyang, Shanghai, Ningbo, Gwangyang and Busan North Port.
Two owned 1,000TEU ships, Heung-A Xiamen and Heung-A Young, and the Methi Bhum, chartered from Thai operator Regional Container Lines, will be deployed on the STS.
Due to STS’ launch, Sinokor will reorganise its existing Tohoku-Hokkaido Services 2 and 3 (THS2 and THS3).
Calls at Niigata and Sakata will be added to THS2, calling at Busan New Port, Busan North Port, Sendai, Hachinohe, Tomakomai, Busan New Port, Toyama New Port, Naoetsu, Niigata, Akita, Sakata, Busan North Port and Busan New Port.
THS2 will be served by 900TEU vessels, Sinokor Tianjin, Warnow Carp, while the first sailing will be undertaken by Nagoya Trader on 11 February.
Hachinohe will be added to THS3, whose loop will be Busan New Port, Busan North Port, Tokushima, Shimizu, Kashima, Hitachinaka, Sendai, Hachinohe, Busan North Port, Busan New Port, Tomakomai, Kushiro, Ishikari Bay New Port and Busan North Port.
Three 1,000TEU chartered ships, Eponyma, Nithi Bhum and A Mizuho, will be deployed to THS3.
Source : container news
