RCL commences Colombo-Tuticorin new feeder service at JCT

Regional Container Line (RCL) commenced a new twice weekly feeder service connecting Colombo with Tuticorin, the second largest port in Tamil Nadu state, India. 

MV CHARLIE with the capacity of  1,730 TEUs will be deployed under  ‘RCL Tuticorin Colombo’ service (RTC) by RCL. The vessel will shuttle between Colombo/Tuticorin/Colombo and will call Jaya Container Terminal (JCT) on Mondays and Fridays twice weekly at Port of Colombo.

The container carrier MV Charlie made her inaugural call at the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) controlled Jaya Container Terminal (JCT) under the maiden Feeder Service and an  official plaque ceremony was also  held on board on 9th January 2018. 

On behalf of SLPA, Upul Jayatissa – Chief Manager (Marketing and Business Development) exchanged the plaques between the Master  of the vessel Capt. Oleg Anashkin and the Delmege Forsyth & Co.(Shipping) Ltd., the agent of the vessel.  Expressing views at the occasion Jayatissa said that on behalf of the Chairman and Management of SLPA, at the historic moment SLPA wished and assured the best services all the time for the new service. The Master of the vessel Capt.

Anashkin remarked that he was extremely happy for the opportunity to connect with Colombo through the new service.  Eric Vandendriesen, General Manager, Delmege Shipping expressing views stated that with the timely and precious assistance of the JCT, the berthing windows were allocated on time and that the RCL hoped to expand their volumes through the JCT of SLPA. 

“Being a feeder company, we have been strongly encouraged by main line operators forecasting an increase in volume who are using Colombo as a transshipment hub, which prompted this. RCL is scouting for more opportunities in the East Bengal waters connecting Colombo with the hope of expanding in the region,” he said. 

The launch of this service will explore opportunities in the Indian Sub-Continent, connecting Colombo as a HUB. Delmege Forsyth & Co. (Shipping) Ltd., will facilitate all agency functions for on behalf of RCL in Colombo.

Founded in 1979, RCL (Regional Container Lines) is a Thai based container shipping line. Listed on the Thai Stock Exchange since 1988, its core business is in the carriage of Shipper owned containers (SOC) and its own Carrier container containers (COC) in a service network that is fully Asia-centric.

Chief Operations Manager (CO) of SLPA I.K. Gnanathilaka, Actg.Chief Manager (Com & PR) of SLPA  -  Nalin Aponso, Senior Deputy Harbour Master of SLPA  -  Capt. Nirmal Silva, Eric Vandendriesen (General Manager – Delmege Shipping), Yoga Dinusha Yoga Gopalakrishnan (Managing Director - Delmege Group), Shamindra Wickremesooriya (Director – Delmege Shipping), Thusitha Srishantha (Head of Operations – Delmege Shipping) and Omar Hannan (Head of Sales – Delmege Shipping) were also present at 
the occasion.