T.S. Lines has expanded its direct container shipping connectivity between China and western India with the maiden call of its CWX2, China-West India Express 2, service at Hazira Port in Gujarat, adding another direct gateway for exporters and importers serving the industrial hinterland of western and northern India.
The inaugural CWX2 call at Hazira took place on 5-6 August 2026, with the container vessel ESL Dachan Bay handling 3,103 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of import and export cargo during the port stay.
What is the CWX2 service?
T.S. Lines introduced the CWX2 service in June 2026 to strengthen its shipping network between major Chinese load ports and the west coast of India.
The service operates on a 42-day rotation, calling at Shanghai, Ningbo, Shekou, Port Klang West, Nhava Sheva, Hazira, Mundra, Port Klang West and back to Shanghai. Hazira represents the carrier’s first direct service call at the Gujarat port.
By adding Hazira alongside Nhava Sheva and Mundra, the service provides T.S. Lines with direct coverage of three important container gateways on India’s western seaboard.
The carrier has positioned CWX2 as a complement to its existing Indian Subcontinent network, with the more direct routing intended to reduce reliance on intermediate transshipment points and provide additional service options between China and India.
Why is the Hazira call important for exporters and importers?
The inclusion of Hazira provides manufacturers and traders in Gujarat and adjoining regions with an additional direct container shipping option to major Chinese ports.
Hazira Port, located near Surat on the Gulf of Khambhat, handles containers as well as dry bulk, break-bulk, liquid cargo, automobiles and other commodities. Operated by Adani Hazira Port Limited, it benefits from proximity to the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor and road and rail connectivity serving northern, north-western and central India.
These hinterland links are particularly relevant for industries across Gujarat and neighbouring manufacturing regions that depend on regular container services for both raw-material imports and finished-goods exports.
The addition of CWX2 also broadens the range of liner options available at Hazira, potentially allowing cargo owners and freight forwarders to evaluate routing through the port alongside established gateways such as Mundra and Nhava Sheva.
Hazira strengthens its container shipping profile
Hazira has steadily expanded its role as a multi-cargo gateway in western India. Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone reported that the port has 32 million tonnes of installed capacity and handled 29.8 million tonnes of cargo, while container throughput reached a monthly peak of 84,782 TEUs in March 2026.
The port’s container terminal forms part of a broader cargo complex serving the manufacturing, chemical and industrial base around Surat and South Gujarat.
The maiden CWX2 call therefore adds to the broader expansion of direct liner connectivity at Hazira at a time when shipping lines are continually adjusting Asian service networks to improve port coverage and respond to cargo demand.
How does CWX2 strengthen China-India shipping connectivity?
The CWX2 rotation directly links the major Chinese ports of Shanghai, Ningbo and Shekou with India’s key western gateways. Port Klang in Malaysia functions as an intermediate call on both legs of the rotation.
For T.S. Lines, adding Hazira widens its geographic reach in the Indian container market while providing another access point to the Gujarat hinterland.
Representatives of T.S. Lines India and the Hazira terminal marked the inaugural call by presenting a commemorative memento to the Master and crew of ESL Dachan Bay.
With CWX2 now calling at Nhava Sheva, Hazira and Mundra, the service adds another direct connection between China’s principal manufacturing regions and the expanding containerised trade network on India’s west coast.
