Demand for reliable shortsea service in the Baltic Sea region has prompted Samskip to launch a new service connecting Latvia and Finland with the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. Samskip said it will deploy two vessels for the weekly service connecting Rotterdam, Helsinki, Riga and Hull.

The service achieves a 5-day transit time from Riga to Hull, and a 7-day transit time from Helsinki to Hull. Samskip said the reliability of the new service is achieved by its robust schedule design and focus on consistency.

Samskip’s new Baltic service will deliver integrated door-to-door service, supported by Samskip’s strong value proposition in the UK consisting of in-house customs clearance support, its Humber-based owned truck fleet and additional value-added services such as cross-docking for paper and timber products.

Samskip Regional Director – Baltic Sea, Johan van der Pijl, said, “We have listened closely to our customers to understand their needs and this new service underpins our commitment to them and their shipping requirements to-and-from Finland & Latvia. The new service provides a fast, direct link between the region and the UK and the Netherlands, which is paired with a high level of customer care and service quality. I am proud of the teams in the region who have worked passionately to drive this project.”

Samskip Regional Director – UK, Richard Beales, said, “We are very pleased to welcome this new direct call from Helsinki/Riga via our ideally situated Humberside gateway in Hull. This new service offers our customers a direct and reliable corridor to-and-from Finland and the Baltics to the UK. We are able to link into the UK Region’s in-house value-added services, such as customs clearance support and land transport to deliver a seamless door-to-door service.”