The expansion follows Viasea’s acquisition by Ellerman City Liners in November 2025 and the integration of Viasea into Ellerman’s European network.
The new BALTEX service will offer weekly calls in Riga (Latvia), Gdynia (Poland), Teesport and Tilbury (United Kingdom), Rotterdam (the Netherlands), and Oslo.
The route called Oslo for the first time on Tuesday, 10 February 2026.
The service offers a capacity of 1,160 TEU per leg and provides fast transshipment connections to Spain and Portugal via the Port of Tilbury, one of the UK’s key shortsea and deepsea ports.
- With more weekly sailings and more ports, customers gain greater flexibility in their route planning. Norwegian customers will now have improved transport options to and from the UK, Northern Europe and Iberia,” says Peter Andrews, Commercial Director at Ellerman City Liners.
More departures – greater flexibility
The expansion strengthens connections between Oslo and key European ports. The changes include:
• Three fixed weekly sailings between Rotterdam and Oslo – one more than today.
• A new direct route between Teesport and Oslo, in addition to increased frequency from the South of England.
• A new weekly route between Oslo and Riga, improving access to the Baltic region for Norwegian cargo owners.
Focus on Oslo
Oslo remains a key focus for the company´s service development and, as such, Ellerman and ViaSea are extending their joint service to include three weekly calls to the Port of Oslo, to support their customers as they grow.
The company reports that their teams across Europe, supported by Viasea’s head office in Moss, Norway, remain focused on meeting our customers’ high standards and are equipped to support even the most demanding logistics requirements.
The service remains focused on fresh produce, canned goods, and wine from Southern Europe. With increased sailing frequency and improved network connectivity, the company are expanding coverage for chemical and FMCG (consumer) cargo from Benelux and Germany, as well as forestry products from the Baltic region.
More cargo to Oslo
Port Director Ingvar M. Mathisen welcomes the new route to Oslo.
- I am convinced that this initiative will help shift more cargo from road to sea. The Port of Oslo and our customers are working systematically to strengthen environmentally efficient maritime transport and deliver on the green transition, says Port Director Ingvar M. Mathisen.
The container terminal operator in Oslo, Yilport Oslo, contributes to an efficient and environmentally friendly logistics operation.
- We strongly believe that the expanded service will take market share from road transport. With an environmentally efficient sea route to Norway, maritime transport is becoming an increasingly attractive and competitive option for cargo owners, says Bjørn Engelsen, Terminal Manager at Yilport Oslo.
Lower emissions and increased capacity
The company notes that the expansion comes at a time of rising demand for reliable shortsea capacity in the Baltic Sea region. The new routing options can reduce CO₂ emissions by up to 50 percent compared with road transport.
BALTEX becomes the newest addition to Ellerman City Liners’ portfolio of shortsea services in Northern Europe, which already includes iNEX 1, iNEX 2, iPEX 1 & 2, iPEX 3, and iBEX 1.