CANMAR, SENATOR PHASE IN LARGER SHIPS ON MONTREAL/MED ROUTE

CANMAR, SENATOR PHASE IN LARGER SHIPS ON MONTREAL/MED ROUTE       Canada Maritime and Senator Lines will phase in four 1,500-TEU ships in their Joint Mediterranean Container Service, starting next month.
   The chartered vessels will replace ships of about 1,000 TEUs on the carriers’ Route A service, which calls at Montreal, Gioia Tauro, Naples, Genoa, Fos and Montreal.
   The first of the larger vessel is scheduled to enter the service on April 18 in Gioia Tauro, Italy.
   A spokesperson for Canada said the overall capacity of the Joint Mediterranean Container Service “will remain the same.” The vessel changes will be implemented over the next few months.
   Besides the weekly Route A service, Canada Maritime and Senator operate two other Montreal/Mediterranean services: the weekly Route B loop and the fortnightly Route C service.
   The introduction of larger ships by Canada Maritime and Senator in the Canada/Mediterranean trade follows substantial additions in capacity in the trade by Hapag-Lloyd, P&O Nedlloyd and other carriers.
   According to World Liner Supply, a reporting service of the global liner shipping database ComPairData, the Joint Mediterranean Container Service currently provides a one-way capacity of 135,400 TEUs a year in the North America/Mediterranean trade.