Canadian partners set new inland feeder service

A Canadian merchant marine operator, Desgagnés will run an inland feeder service between Hamilton and Montreal in Canada.

Desgagnés will deploy its multipurpose tweendeck, Lo-Lo cargo ship Sedna Desgagnés on the new service, which will make its first voyage on 10 June sailing from Hamilton’s Pier14 to the Port of Montreal.

This shipment is the first of what is expected to be an increasingly frequent service for container movements on the Great Lakes, according to Hamilton Oshawa Port Authority (HOPA Ports).

The container feeder vessel will carry approximately 350TEU, originating in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) from Hamilton Container Terminal (HCT) to Montreal, from where these containers, carrying a diverse range of cargoes, will be transloaded to other vessels destined for various overseas ports.

In addition to Desgagnés and HOPA Ports, Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) will be involved in the service as a cargo customer, Federal Marine Terminals as the terminal operator, and all export bookings handled by Hamilton-based freight forwarder Avancer International Freight Systems.

June’s sailing is expected to be followed by a second Hamilton-Montreal voyage in July, building up to 20+ sailings in 2022.

HOPA Ports’ President & CEO, Ian Hamilton believes HCT is tapping into a wider shift that is creating new opportunities for Great Lakes shipping. “Highway congestion, greenhouse gas reduction targets, driver shortages – all of these factors are combining, so marine is making more sense for short journeys than ever before,” he said.

“In choosing the marine mode, shippers will be reducing their supply chains’ C0₂ footprint by as much as 500% versus surface transportation,” pointed out Hamilton.

HCT is currently accepting additional bookings from Hamilton to Montreal to India and far east destination ports for the service’s inaugural sailing.