Bengal Tiger joins MOL, RCL to offer Thailand-Chennai service

SINGAPORE`s Bengal Tiger Line (BTL) and fellow feeder Regional Container Lines (RCL) have tied up with Japan`s Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL) to link Singapore to Laem Chabang and Chennai from Tuesday March 23.
BTL and RCL will each deploy a 1,100-TEU ship on the 21-day round voyage, providing fixed day weekly calls at all ports, said a company statement. The service will be named RMB after its participants - RCL, MOL and BTL.
BTL has been expanding coverage as far east as Korea and China and west to the Red Sea and Gulf. Additionally, last year a new Taiwan-Philippines shuttle service now docks at Kaoshiung.
But BTL`s main trade remains with Chennai and, with the new RMB Service, will BTL offer four sailings a week to and from Singapore.
"We are delighted to be participating. Whilst our philosophy remains to run direct shuttle connections, we realise that some longer haul requirements are required but if we can double dip over Singapore then this will undoubtedly provide us more revenue," said BTL chairman Joachim von der Heydt.
The Singapore-based company is part of the Schoeller Group of Cyprus, which owns over 70 vessels and manages 350 more.
Said BTL managing director Bill Smart: "We are always looking into service structures which upgrade our existing pattern, and are therefore happy with this new partnership."