DFDS doubles Trieste-Damietta service
From 15 October, DFDS will double the frequency of its ro-ro service between Trieste and Damietta by deploying the Ark Futura on the route and increasing sailings from one to two a week in each direction. The company says the expansion reflects growth in the service, which directly connects Italy and Egypt. Departures from Damietta will take place on Mondays and Fridays, while sailings from Trieste will leave on Mondays and Thursdays. The route was launched at the end of November 2024 with a weekly frequency and the stated aim of eventually increasing to two departures a week. Traffic mainly consists of fresh fruit and vegetables, textiles and industrial goods. The service is designed as a logistics corridor between Egypt and European markets, also taking advantage of rail connections linking Trieste with Central Europe. In Damietta, the project includes a dedicated terminal and cooperation with Pan Marine Shipping Services, while on the Italian side it was developed with Samer & Co. Shipping. DFDS had already reported growing traffic in its Egypt-related operations in May, June and July 2026. With the addition of the second vessel, the route will offer four sailings a week overall, two from each port. The Ark Futura was built in 1996 and subsequently modified, and has a capacity of 2,308 lane metres.
Agility tests autonomous trains
Parallel Systems and Agility have launched a partnership to assess the development, financing and deployment of autonomous freight rail systems in the Gulf countries, the EMEA region and other international markets. The agreement remains at a preliminary stage, with no corridors, customers, investment amounts or service launch dates disclosed. Parallel is developing self-propelled, autonomous battery-electric rail vehicles capable of operating individually or in groups, mainly for short- and medium-distance intermodal connections. The company claims a potential range of up to 500 miles, around 805 kilometres, carrying intermodal containers, although this figure has not yet been validated under Gulf operating conditions. The parties will first have to identify economically viable corridors, adapt the system to the regional environment, conduct trials and obtain the necessary approvals. Possible applications include shuttles between ports and inland terminals, links with industrial parks and logistics centres, and the transfer to rail of freight flows currently moved by road. In the United States, Parallel's technology is still being tested in Georgia through a seven-stage programme authorised by the Federal Railroad Administration.
DP World bypasses Hormuz
DP World has launched a fortnightly maritime service between India and the Middle East linking Cochin and Nhava Sheva with Fujairah, Sohar and Aden, avoiding transit through the Strait of Hormuz. The MGR IFR service uses the container ships Marsa Virgo and Marsa Zenith and operates as a regional feeder. More than 1,000 teu were handled during the Marsa Virgo's first call at Cochin, while declared commercial capacity exceeds 500 teu per vessel and voyage. Fujairah and Sohar, both located outside Hormuz, provide direct access to logistics hubs on the Gulf of Oman, from where cargo can continue by sea or land. However, the service is not a direct alternative for ports inside the Persian Gulf, which require additional regional distribution. The initiative comes amid a sharp contraction in commercial traffic through Hormuz and therefore gives DP World an additional option for diversifying routings from India. The service also starts from a growing terminal: in August 2026, Cochin's ICTT handled 97,952 teu, up 51% from the same month in 2025.
Dachser acquires Drummond
Dachser is acquiring Drummond Distribution, turning a partnership dating back to 2008 into a direct presence in the Scottish logistics market. The acquired family-owned company has five sites in the Central Belt, around 46,500 square metres of warehousing, 100 trucks and 80 trailers, with 175 employees. In 2025, Drummond generated revenue of around £20 million, while the value of the acquisition has not been disclosed. The hub of its network is Armadale, in West Lothian, along the corridor between Glasgow and Edinburgh. Drummond distributes industrial goods and ambient food products, also serving destinations in the Highlands and Scotland's main regions. The transaction therefore enables Dachser to internalise a link that was already connected to its European groupage network. Drummond's current management will remain in place to ensure operational continuity, while the previous owners will gradually exit the company. For Dachser, the acquisition marks a shift from coverage through a partner to an owned network in Scotland, without overlaps with existing company sites.
LVO takes control of Seatram
Léon Vincent Overseas has acquired a majority stake in Seatram Logistics Group, an international freight forwarder founded in Genoa in 1986, while the Bruzzo family and the other shareholders remain in the group. The transaction brings Seatram under the control of French group LVO, itself controlled by MML Capital Partners, which is pursuing an international growth strategy through acquisitions. Luca Bruzzo and his management team will continue to work in the company, ensuring management continuity after the change of control. Seatram reports 104 employees, seven wholly owned offices and annual traffic of 150,000 teu across imports and exports. Its network is particularly developed towards Oceania, South Africa and the Americas, while LVO has expertise in North-South routes and groupage transport. Seatram Spa alone generated revenue of €46.9 million in 2025, compared with €46.5 million in 2024, while net profit fell from €3.8 million to €2.1 million. The integration is intended to expand the range of destinations served, increase volumes and combine the two companies' respective expertise in international transport. The transaction price, the exact percentage acquired by LVO, the stake retained by the previous shareholders and the effective completion date have not been disclosed.
