From 12 August, the first regular container line through the Arctic

The first regular container service through the Arctic starts this week. From 12 August the Chinese group Sea Legend will run a weekly link between Ningbo, on China's eastern coast, and Felixstowe in the United Kingdom. The route follows the northern coast of Russia. The Financial Times reported the news.

The company, which focuses mainly on the Turkish and North African markets, has named the service «Via della Seta di Ghiaccio» (Ice Silk Road). Sailing time between the two ports should fall by roughly half compared with the usual forty days, depending on conditions inside the Arctic Circle.

The Arctic is establishing itself as an alternative to the traditional shipping lanes. The melting of the polar ice shortens the journey between Europe and Asia, and shipping companies are looking to sidestep the world's traffic pinch points. That is part of why interest in the Northern Sea Route is growing: it makes it possible to avoid chokepoints such as the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which leads into the Red Sea.

Sea Legend's decision follows a record summer. Last season there were 23 transits along the Northern Sea Route, against fifteen voyages in 2024. In the summer months the sea ice retreats far enough south for ships to pass without icebreaker support.

The new service's timetable therefore depends on the season. The navigation window opens as the ice pulls back and closes as it spreads again, and every voyage remains tied to the conditions ships meet along the Siberian coast.