UK boxship operator Ellerman City Liners, part of GB Global, is beefing up its shortsea business with the takeover of a Norwegian-owned shortsea operator.

The company is buying Viasea Shipping from ColliCare Holding AS. No financial details have been disclosed.

With offices in Moss, Rotterdam, Gdynia, Klaipeda, and Immingham, Viasea is renowned for its customer-focused services across Northern Europe.

Founded in 2016, Viasea operates regular schedules between the UK, Norway, the Netherlands, Poland, and Lithuania.

Ellerman City Liners sees this acquisition as a key step in expanding its shortsea footprint and enhancing service resilience in challenging maritime conditions.

Peter Andrews, managing director of Ellerman City Liners, commented: “We’re excited about the opportunities this acquisition brings. It marks a major step towards completing our European infrastructure jigsaw and enables us to deliver a truly comprehensive door-to-door service across Europe. By thinking differently and pushing the boundaries of short sea services, we can exceed customer expectations and provide smarter, more connected logistics solutions.”