DHL has enhanced freight services from India with the launch of a new ocean freight terminal in the southern port city of Cochin on the west coast.

The less than container load (LCL) weekly service connects Cochin with Europe and North America through Colombo in Sri Lanka.

The service, which began on 5 May, is operated by DHL’s in-house carrier Danmar Lines and is said to reduce transit time by up to three days.

Cochin’s growth as a hub for India’s export-import trade has been sited as a reason for the new, weekly service aims to facilitate businesses especially those engaged in trading spices, palm oil and coir.

The service is also part of DHL’s on-going plans to expand LCL services globally, Christoph Remund, CEO of DHL Lemuir Logistics India has disclosed.

Cochin has targeted to become a major container transhipment facility to rival Colombo, which skims off cargo from India. The terminal on Vallarpadam island, to be operated by DP World, will be built in three phases with the first phase construction slated to be completed by June this year. Starting from about 600,000 teu a year the port, when fully completed in 2014, will be able to take in 8,000 teu ships and handle about 3M teu annually.

Source: port online