Global Feeder Shipping (GFS) will split its Colombo Cochin Gulf (CCG) service into two dedicated loops covering India's eastern and western coasts, deploying three vessels across the revised network.

The restructuring ends a single-rotation setup that bundled both coastlines into one operation. From now on, east and west coast port calls run on separate schedules, with different frequencies and different vessel sizes matched to each trade's volume profile.

What does the new network look like?

The eastern loop gets the larger share of capacity. It runs weekly with two vessels of roughly 3,400 TEUs each, calling:

• Colombo
• Visakhapatnam
• Kattupalli
• Colombo
• Kochi
• Visakhapatnam
• Kattupalli
• Colombo

The western loop operates on a ten-day frequency with a single vessel of approximately 2,700 TEU, calling:

• Colombo
• Mundra
• Pipavav
• Mangalore
• Kochi
• Mundra
• Colombo

The split gives GFS geographically clean rotations. Eastern calls centre on Visakhapatnam and Kattupalli, the gateway ports for India's east coast and Chennai-region cargo. Western calls concentrate on Mundra and Pipavav, the two largest private container terminals on the west coast, plus Mangalore and Kochi.

Why split the service now?

For a feeder operator, running east and west coast calls in one loop ties vessel productivity to the weakest leg. A single rotation forces ships to zigzag between coastlines, lengthening transit times and making schedule integrity harder to hold.

Dedicated loops let GFS match frequency to demand on each side. The weekly eastern service, backed by two 3,400 TEU vessels, signals where the operator sees the stronger and more regular volume base. The ten-day western rotation with a smaller 2,700 TEU ship suggests a leaner trade, one that does not yet justify weekly frequency.

Kochi appears in both rotations, underlining its role as a secondary hub alongside Colombo in GFS's Indian subcontinent network.

What does it mean for shippers and forwarders?

The change carries practical consequences for cargo routing through Colombo, the main transhipment hub for Indian subcontinent feeder traffic.

East coast shippers gain weekly, predictable sailing slots on larger vessels, with Visakhapatnam and Kattupalli both receiving two calls per rotation. West coast shippers face a less frequent service — one sailing every ten days — but a tighter port coverage that adds Mangalore to the loop alongside Mundra, Pipavav and Kochi.

Forwarders booking west coast cargo will need to plan around the ten-day interval, which reduces flexibility compared with a weekly option. Mainline operators connecting through Colombo will also need to align transhipment windows with the revised feeder schedules on both loops.

Capacity picture at a glance

• Three vessels deployed across the two rotations
• Eastern loop: weekly, two ships of ~3,400 TEU each
• Western loop: every ten days, one ship of ~2,700 TEU
• Combined nominal capacity: roughly 9,500 TEU across the network

The move reflects how feeder operators are fine-tuning Indian subcontinent coverage as cargo flows between Colombo and Indian regional ports continue to shift. Whether the western loop moves to a weekly cadence will depend on how west coast volumes develop under the new structure.