Ports & Routes
Global Port Intelligence
| Path | Records | Actual median | P25–P75 range | TS dwell |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Direct | 897 | 51.2d | 50.1–52.0 d | — |
| via Hong Kong | 112 | 52.1d | 51.3–54.8 d | 5.2d |
| via Tanjung Pelepas | 65 | 50.8d | 48.9–53.2 d | 5.34d |
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 51.2 days. This is based on 529 containers tracked end-to-end on this exact direct path.
Most containers arrive within 50.1–52.0 days (P25–P75 of 1,074 tracked records on this lane). Plan with this range, not a single number.
The shipping distance from Shanghai to Thames is approximately 10,530 nautical miles (19,501 km).
Maersk line operates direct service on this lane in our tracked dataset.
Yes. Tracked transshipment options include: Hong Kong (52.1d total, 112 records); Tanjung Pelepas (50.8d total, 65 records).
Approximately 58.7 days door-to-door. The median gate-in dwell at Shanghai is 3.53 days. Vessel sail time from Shanghai to Thames is 51.2 days. The median gate-out dwell at Thames is 4.0 days.
Container shipping from Shanghai to Thames spans approximately 10,530 nautical miles, equivalent to 19,501 kilometres of sea route. Our tracked dataset for this lane includes 1,074 records across qualifying paths. Of those, 529 containers were tracked end-to-end on the direct path (literally booked from Shanghai to Thames with no transshipment). The median sail time on direct service is 51.2 days. Most shipments arrive within 50.1 to 52.0 days, the P25–P75 range covering the middle half of observed transits.
The typical door-to-door figure is 58.7 days. Median gate-in dwell at Shanghai is 3.53 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 Shanghai to Thames is 51.2 days. Median gate-out dwell at Thames is 4.0 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 897 leg-level observations on the direct segment. Of those, 529 were containers literally booked direct from Shanghai to Thames and tracked end-to-end on this exact path. Maersk operates the dominant tracked direct service. Containers carried by MSC also traversed this corridor without an intermediate transshipment, generally as sub-segments of longer journeys. On the direct segment, the median sail time is 51.2 days, and the P25–P75 range runs from 50.1 to 52.0 days.
2 transshipment alternatives appear in the dataset, each routing a container through one or more hub ports between Shanghai and Thames. The Hong Kong-routed path takes a median of 52.1 days based on 112 records, with a P25–P75 range of 51.3 to 54.8 days. Median dwell at the hub terminal on this path is 5.2 days. The Tanjung Pelepas-routed path takes a median of 50.8 days based on 65 records, with a P25–P75 range of 48.9 to 53.2 days. Median dwell at the hub terminal on this path is 5.34 days.
For planning purposes, treat the 50.1 to 52.0 day P25–P75 range as the realistic arrival window for direct service. About half of all observed direct shipments fell within that 1.9-day spread. When committing door-to-door dates to consignees, account for an additional 3.53 days of gate-in dwell at Shanghai and 4.0 days of gate-out dwell at Thames on top of the chosen sail time.