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Liverpool's massive £400m shipping terminal will soon start welcoming its biggest-ever ships as two transatlantic container services switch to the city.

And port bosses hope that the short-term move will prove to shipping lines that they should bring more services to Liverpool permanently.

Congestion at the busy southern port of Felixstowe has forced shipping giants Maersk and MSC to move services to Liverpool temporarily.

Liverpool2, best known for its giant red cranes, was officially opened in late 2016. Owner Peel Ports says it invested £400m in the project to ensure the city could attract the biggest ships in the world.

A sinkhole that opened up on the terminal last February was fixed later in the year and Peel said it did not delay operations.

The terminal has seen occasional services so far, but Peel Ports has always insisted it would take time for ships to switch services to the city permanently.

The current congestion at Felixstowe has now given Peel Ports a chance to prove what the terminal can do.

(Image: Publicity /handout)

Maersk Line's Colombia Express service, which serves the port of Newark in New Jersey, is switching to Liverpool.

Meanwhile 2M, an alliance between Maersk and MSC, is moving its TA2 transatlantic service to Liverpool. That service will open updirect links from Liverpool to southern ports including Savannah.

The ships will be loaded with British exports, including Scotch whisky, food and machinery.

The lines are likely to run the services from Liverpool for some three months.

Mark Whitworth, chief executive of Peel Ports said: “This news demonstrates the impact which our investment in Liverpool2 has had in re-shaping UK logistics, and disrupting traditional approaches to shipping.

"It is also testament to the progress we’ve made at Liverpool and the efforts we’ve made to strengthen our relationships with major lines.

"Our objective is now to secure these or similar services in the long-term by delivering the cost, congestion and carbon emission benefits that Liverpool2 in particular will offer shipping lines and cargo owners.”

(Image: Publicity /handout)

Dan Everitt, managing director of MSC UK said: “MSC has been connecting Liverpool to global routes since 2001 and the Port of Liverpool is an integral part of our UK logistics network.

"Having Liverpool as a temporary transatlantic alternative allows MSC, as part of our comprehensive direct Atlantic Services, to continue to offer customer access to the global market during a time of operational constraints in the UK's port network."

Asbjorn Kops, trade and marketing director of Maersk said: "Switching our transatlantic service temporarily to Liverpool allows us to maintain our comprehensive UK offering with a wide range of connections to our global network.”

Michael Forde of Kingsland Drinks said: “As one of the largest UK wine importers, this is great news for our business.

"It means we’ll be able to ship more goods closer to our bottling, storage and distribution facilities in the North west, allowing us to maintain our reliable and cost-effective service for the benefit of our customers.”