MOL has announced that it is to start a new service between Europe and the West Coast of Africa end of June, 2002. The new service has been named as “African Rainbow Express (ARX)” and will employ two MOL operated vessels, “MOL Rainbow” and “MOL Sahara” MOL can now provide their customers with a wider choice of port calls and inland destinations within Europe and Africa. The new service details are shown below.
Port of call and rotation
ARX will be a fixed day bi-weekly service, and its port of call and rotation will be:
SOUTHBOUND
Antwerp (Wednesday/Thursday) - Felixstowe (Friday) - Le Havre (Saturday/Sunday) - Dakar (Friday) - Conakry (Sunday) - Abidjan (Tuesday) - Tema (Thursday)
NORTHBOUND Abidjan (Saturday) - Dakar (Wednesday) - Las Palmas (Friday) - Leixoes (Monday) - Antwerp (Wednesday/Thursday)
Other European ports will be served via transhipment in Le Havre, and through MOL’s own comprehensive network of services.
Other African ports such as Cotonou, Lome, and Lagos, will be served via transhipment in Abidjan onto MOL’s already long established Asia - West Africa Express services (WA1/WA2). Takoradi, Onne (Port Harcourt) and Douala will be served by MOL’s own coastal feeder service (CWB).
MOL has already re-enforced its infrastructure along the West Africa coast to ensure that the introduction of this new link, is as smoothly as possible. A dedicated operations centre in Abidjan, is to handle all transhipment activities between the different services including all coastal feeder arrangements.
Europe - South Africa
In addition, the new link, also means that MOL will be able to serve Europe / South Africa and vice versa, through transhipment at Abidjan via their Far East services (WA1/WA2).
For further information, please contact:
Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (Europe) Ltd.
Mr Jun Uoyama
General Manager, North-South Trades
TEL: +44 (0)20-7265-7617
FAX: +44 (0)20-7265-7624
E-mail: jun.uoyama@mol-europe.co.uk