New international shipping line sails into Port Saint John NB

The port of Saint John has a new international shipping line. The first vessel, the Liverpool Express, arrives from the Mediterranean on Thursday morning.

"Nothing better than being the first North American stop on a shipping service," said Jim Quinn, the head of Port Saint John. Between six and seven ships, similar to a bus route, will travel through the Mediterranean, to Saint John, Montreal and then back to the Mediterranean.  "It will be a continuous rotation of ships," Quinn said.

The new shipping line comes following an agreement between the Canadian Pacific Railway and German international shipping company, Hapag Lloyd in late 2020.  The shipping company has 237 modern ships and serves more than 600 ports around the world.  Meanwhile, CP offers significant rail distance into the midwest of the United-States.

The Saint John port was tested a few times over the past year to see if the cargo could easily be distributed from the vessel to the rail service. "This new service will bring more economic growth to the region and provide a vital link to the world," Keith Creel, CP president and CEO said in a statement.

The vessels will be bringing in manufactured goods and fresh products to the North American market.

This is an excerpt from the 27 May 2021 edition of CBC News.