MSC intermodal service connects Italy, Austria

The container carrier developed the transport solution in collaboration with the supermarket chain Lidl.    MSC said it is enhancing intermodal connections via the port of Trieste, Italy, to improve transit times for shippers moving cargo between Asia, the Mediterranean and Europe.
   A new MSC Graz-Trieste Runner shuttle train, operated together with Cargo Center Graz, connects Trieste with Werndorf, Austria, once a week. The service is the first direct connection between Trieste and Werndorf and its schedule is coordinated with MSC’s Far East Phoenix ocean-liner service to ensure optimal timing for intercontinental cargo delivery.
   The container carrier said that it collaborated with the Germany-headquartered global discount supermarket chain Lidl to devise a tailor-made transport solution for containers shipped from the Far East to Lidl’s warehouse hub near Graz. The service will help Lidl optimize its supply chain to shops in central and eastern Europe.
   “Depending on customer demand, the service may become more frequent in the future,” MSC said.
   MSC said it is a shareholder of the Trieste Marine Terminal and will continue to develop its facilities as well as the connecting networks.