Panalpina adds 3 Asia-Europe LCL routes

   The global freight forwarder Panalpina said Tuesday it has started three new direct less-than-containerload (LCL) services from Asia to Europe.
   Operated by the company’s in-house non-vessel-operating common carrier Pantainer Express Line, the new weekly services connect Singapore to Prague and Budapest and Shanghai to Graz, Austria with guaranteed transit times.
   “There is a growing demand in the automotive and high-tech industries for direct consolidation services from Asia into the Czech Republic, Hungary and Austria,” said Christian Kruse, regional head of ocean freight LCL for Europe and the Middle East.
   Panalpina offers a dozen LCL services from mainland China, Hong Kong and Singapore into these countries. Previously the route from Singapore to Prague and Budapest and Shanghai to Graz were served via Hamburg by rail to Linz in Austria, where the cargo was loaded onto trucks.
   “In order to cut transit times and CO₂ emissions we’ve decided to take the Linz stop out for these services and route cargo for Budapest and Graz via Koper, Slovenia’s port on the Adriatic Sea,” Kruse said.
   Transit time for both Singapore to Prague and Singapore to Budapest will be cut by two days to 29 days, Panalpina said, while the journey from Shanghai to Graz will be reduced by five days to 36.