By contrast, the new COFASTRANS arrangement can provide the step change in cargo handling performance that is needed to meet the shipper’s expectations. COFASTRANS solves this problem by positioning the ship, which is the biggest and most valuable single element in the overall terminal delivery system, at the heart of the central working area. This is surrounded by port operations with direct access to the shoreside container stacks on both sides of the ship, thus giving direct access to the quayside with twice the area available for landing containers. This compares with the conventional arrangement where vessels are at the periphery and restricted to access over only one side.