Atlantic Container Line AB (ACL) is teaming up with BG Freight Line (BGFL) and Peel Ports in Liverpool and Dublin Port to provide a new service that will significantly improve transit times and reliability in both directions between Ireland and North America.

This new service will be one to two weeks faster than other transatlantic services to and from Dublin and Belfast. ACL said the reliability will significantly improve as well, due to additional spare time in the schedule.

The BGFL Liverpool-Ireland service is being upgraded two weeks from now. 

This first eastbound sailing for this new service will be the Atlantic Sun (see G4 class), sailing New York, May 10, Baltimore, May 13, Norfolk, May 14, Halifax, May 16, connecting in Liverpool with JSP Anna, arriving Dublin, May 26 and Belfast, May 27.

The first westbound sailing for this new service will be JSP Anna, departing Belfast, May 27 and Dublin, May 31, connecting in Liverpool with the Atlantic Sea, arriving Halifax, June 3, New York, June 5, Baltimore, June 8 and Norfolk, June 10.

ACL is able to achieve the faster transits because:

• ACL’s schedule - with Liverpool as first port into Europe and last port out of Europe – gives it the fastest transatlantic service to/from the UK and Ireland. There are no intermediate European ports that add time.
• Liverpool is the closest deep sea port to both Dublin and Belfast. Continental ports are three to four times further away. Liverpool requires one day fewer steaming to/from Dublin and 1.5 fewer days to/from Belfast. Less time reduces fuel and costs meaning it is also environmentally cleaner.
• ACL and BGFL have agreed to coordinate their schedules to minimize connection time at Liverpool. BGFL will arrive in Liverpool immediately after the incoming ACL eastbound ship and immediately before the departing ACL westbound ship.
• Liverpool is giving ACL and BGFL berth and crane priority on this new service to ensure smooth connections every week.
• BGFL, Marine Terminals Ltd (MTL) in Dublin and Royal Seaforth Container Terminal (RSCT) in Liverpool are all companies of the Peel Ports Group, enabling them to guarantee performance both at the ocean terminals and at sea. ACL has called at the Port of Liverpool for 57 consecutive years, so its relationships with the Peel Ports Group and its companies have a long and productive history.

Atlantic Container Line AB (ACL), registered in Sweden, is a member of the Grimaldi Group. It is the oldest operating container line in the world, with continuous weekly service on the Atlantic since 1967 and they operate the largest combination Container/RORO ships in the world. ACL operates its carrier service of roll-on roll-off cargo, offering a weekly service for both wheeled and oversized cargo such as vehicles, boats, aircraft, construction and agricultural equipment and project cargo.

A new 15-year contract extension for container and roll-on/roll-off operations at the Port of Liverpool until the year 2035 has been agreed with Atlantic Container Line (ACL).

According to the port's operator, Peel Ports Group, ACL is already the largest ocean-carrier operating at Liverpool’s Royal Seaforth Container Terminal (RSCT). The line which is a Grimaldi Group Company, is also the English north-west port’s longest serving container carrier.

This new agreement demonstrates ACL’s confidence in the growing volume of transatlantic trade between the UK and North America and ACL’s commitment to the Port of Liverpool and the strong relationship forged for more than 50 years.

Peel Ports is making a significant investment at RSCT to accommodate ACL’s new fleet of G4 vessels (see Afloat report) which are registered in the UK and fly the Red Ensign. The passage entrance into the Seaforth Basin has been widened by 28 metres to allow safe access for the large G4 vessels into the terminal.

In addition, Peel Ports is investing in two Ship-to-Shore (STS) cranes with increased height and reach, adding capacity to the dedicated vehicle storage area to handle ACL’s growing cargo requirements. The overall project expected to be completed during 2021.

ACL ships over 125,000 units of containers, cars and RORO machinery per annum, and supports a substantial supply chain with a critical link between the UK's export and import trades. ACL ships call at Liverpool twice each week, its fastest import and export transatlantic service.

Liverpool connects ACL’s customers in the British industrial heartland, Scotland and Ireland with North America. The unique long-term relationship between ACL’s Terminal Operations and the Peel Ports operations team provides customers with cutting-edge technologies and improved cargo efficiency for all containers, roll-on/roll-off and breakbulk cargo.

Atlantic Container Line’s vessels have called at the Port of Liverpool since 1967. ACL holds a major place in British maritime history and was Europe’s first dedicated container line. Cunard Line of Liverpool was one of ACL’s original shareholders.