RCL commences Colombo-Tuticorin New Feeder Service at JCT

Upul Jayatissa – Chief Manager (Marketing and Business Development) of SLPA exchanging plaques with the ship’s Master Capt. Oleg Anashkin. Chief Operations Manager (CO) of SLPA I.K. Gnanathilaka, Acting Chief Manager (Com and PR) of SLPA Nalin Aponso, Senior Deputy Harbour Master of SLPA Capt. Nirmal Silva, Delmege Shipping General Manager Eric Vandendriesen, Delmege Group Managing Director Yoga Dinusha Yoga Gopalakrishnan and Delmege Shipping Director Shamindra Wickremesooriya are also present

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

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

The container carrier MV Charlie made its 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 9 January 2018. 

On behalf of the SLPA, Marketing and Business Development Chief Manager Upul Jayatissa exchanged plaques with the Master of the vessel Capt. Oleg Anashkin and the Delmege Forsyth & Co. (Shipping) Ltd., the agent of the vessel. 

Speaking at the occasion, Jayatissa said that the SLPA, on behalf of its Chairman and management, 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. 

Delmege Shipping General Manager Eric Vandendriesen said that with the timely and vital 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 for those 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 scout opportunities in the Indian Subcontinent, connecting Colombo as a hub. Delmege Forsyth & Co. (Shipping) Ltd. will facilitate all agency functions on behalf of RCL in Colombo.

Founded in 1979, RCL 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 containers (COC) in a service network that is entirely Asia-centric.

RCL currently owns and operates a fleet of more than 46 vessels with sizes ranging from 500 TEUs to over 3,316 TEUs. It operates a COC fleet of over 71,000 TEUs. RCL operates a network of 64 offices, made up of both RCL-owned and agency partner offices to support its operations. Today, RCL is recognised as a leading SOC carrier within Intra-Asia and reputed by the shipping community and the maritime industry and customers alike. 

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