UK owner Lomar Shipping has acquired five boxships from Germany’s Hapag-Lloyd.

The company has snapped up five 3,237 TEU vessels that Hapag-Lloyd has had trading on its North Europe – US east coast route. All of the vessels have been chartered back to the Hamburg-based liner.

The sister ships Charleston Express, which is being renamed Velika Express, Yorktown Express (Mirador Express) and Washington Express (Sounion Trader) have already been delivered.

The remaining two ships, Philadelphia Express will be renamed Spartel Trader and St. Louis Express will be renamed Antibes Express in August.

The company operates a fleet of over 80 container vessels, bulk carriers, chemical and product tankers.