Ports & Routes
Global Port Intelligence
| Path | Records | Actual median | P25–P75 range | TS dwell |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Direct | 317 | 21.8d | 19.8–24.8 d | — |
All values are actuals from tracked container records. Paths flagged low n have fewer than 20 records and should be read as directional.
The median transit time is 21.8 days. This is based on 164 containers tracked end-to-end on this exact direct path.
Most containers arrive within 19.8–24.8 days (P25–P75 of 317 tracked records on this lane). Plan with this range, not a single number.
The shipping distance from Kolkata to Colombo is approximately 1,582 nautical miles (2,930 km).
MSC line operates direct service on this lane in our tracked dataset.
No transshipment paths are present in the tracked dataset for this lane — containers observed move directly from Kolkata to Colombo.
Approximately 32.6 days door-to-door. The median gate-in dwell at Kolkata is 8.0 days. Vessel sail time from Kolkata to Colombo is 21.8 days. The median gate-out dwell at Colombo is 2.82 days.
Container shipping from Kolkata to Colombo spans approximately 1,582 nautical miles, equivalent to 2,930 kilometres of sea route. Our tracked dataset for this lane includes 317 records across qualifying paths. Of those, 164 containers were tracked end-to-end on the direct path (literally booked from Kolkata to Colombo with no transshipment). The median sail time on direct service is 21.8 days. Most shipments arrive within 19.8 to 24.8 days, the P25–P75 range covering the middle half of observed transits.
The typical door-to-door figure is 32.6 days. Median gate-in dwell at Kolkata is 8.0 days, representing the time a container spends at the origin terminal between arrival at the gate and loading onto the vessel. Vessel sail time from Kolkata to Colombo is 21.8 days. Median gate-out dwell at Colombo is 2.82 days, covering discharge and the time before pickup at the destination terminal.
Direct service — meaning no transshipment between origin and destination — is the dominant routing on this corridor. It is supported by 317 leg-level observations on the direct segment. Of those, 164 were containers literally booked direct from Kolkata to Colombo and tracked end-to-end on this exact path. MSC operates the dominant tracked direct service. Containers carried by Maersk also traversed this corridor without an intermediate transshipment, generally as sub-segments of longer journeys. On the direct segment, the median sail time is 21.8 days, and the P25–P75 range runs from 19.8 to 24.8 days.
For planning purposes, treat the 19.8 to 24.8 day P25–P75 range as the realistic arrival window for direct service. About half of all observed direct shipments fell within that 5.0-day spread. When committing door-to-door dates to consignees, account for an additional 8.0 days of gate-in dwell at Kolkata and 2.82 days of gate-out dwell at Colombo on top of the chosen sail time.