"Maersk Adapts to Panama Canal Drought with Rail Routes"

Due to drought conditions affecting the Panama Canal, Maersk has announced that vessels carrying freight from Oceania will no longer traverse the canal and will instead use a "land bridge" involving ports in Panama and rail transport. The drought has led to water depth and weight restrictions on ships passing through the canal, prompting Maersk to make changes to its services to minimize customer impact. The Panama Canal Authority has increased transit slots, but the water level issues come as it is expected to receive additional vessel traffic due to shippers avoiding the Red Sea. The decision will impact declining cargo volume passing through the canal, despite record revenue reported by the Canal Authority.