Panalpina offers Singapore to Prague, Budapest LCL, from Shanghai to Graz

PANALPINA has commenced three less-than-container-load (LCL) services from Asia to Europe that are operated by Pantainer Express Line on a weekly basis.

The new guaranteed services from Singapore to Prague, Singapore to Budapest and from Shanghai to Graz, Austria, are designed to cut transit times and CO2 emissions.

"There is a growing demand in the automotive and hi-tech industries for direct consolidation services from Asia into the Czech Republic, Hungary and Austria," said Christian Kruse, regional head of Ocean Freight LCL Europe and Middle East.

Singapore to Prague, Singapore to Budapest and Shanghai to Graz used to run via Hamburg by rail to Linz in Austria where the cargo was loaded onto trucks. "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," said Mr Kruse.

Transit time for both Singapore to Prague and Singapore to Budapest is reduced by two days to 29 days. The journey from Shanghai to Graz now takes 36 days instead of 41. Because of shorter distances and, for Prague and Budapest a shift from road to rail, CO2 emissions for these services are reduced by 22 per cent for Graz, eight per cent for Prague and 33 per cent for Budapest, a company statement said.