NYK has announced that it will be offering a direct service between Europe and north-west India, Pakistan and the Middle East with effect from April, Exim News Service reports.

This service will be part of a joint service agreement pertaining to the existing CMA CGM Europe Pakistan India Consortium (EPIC) service.

The service will commence with the westbound voyage of OOCL San Francisco, which is expected to arrive at Jebel Ali on April 3. The first eastbound sailing will be OOCL San Francisco's departure from Southampton on May 1.

The 56-day round voyage port rotation of EPIC is as follows: Jebel Ali, Port Qasim, Nhava Sheva, Mundra, Jeddah, Port Said, Malta, Tangier, Southampton, Rotterdam, Hamburg, Antwerp, Le Havre, Khorfakkan, Jebel Ali.

NYK currently offers a weekly service from Europe to the Middle East. Its participation in the EPIC service will now mean that NYK can offer a second weekly service from Europe to the Middle East as well as a comprehensive fixed-day, weekly westbound service from Pakistan (Port Qasim) and India (Nhava Sheva, Mundra) to Northern Europe (Southampton, Rotterdam, Hamburg, Antwerp, Le Havre), highlighted a NYK release.