TNT Express Worldwide plans to launch a new direct, next-day delivery service between Penang and Singapore on the Asia Road Network in the next few months.

Asia Road Network is TNT’s door-to-door delivery service, which uses an integrated road network linking Kuala Lumpur to Singapore and Bangkok and more recently, Vietnam. The new service is expected to offer customers up to 40 percent cost-savings compared to air freight and a 30 percent reduction in transit time compared to the earlier schedule.

TNT is targeting high technology manufacturing companies in Penang as its potential customers.

TNT Malaysia managing director Gerry Power said he expects the new Penang- Singapore direct service to contribute a further 30 percent growth in volumes to the Asia Road Network. The new 14,500 sq ft facility is three times the size of its previous facility in KLIA and is equipped with the latest technology in supply chain management.

Meanwhile, Power also said that TNT has plans to extend the Asia Road Network to China as early as December 2007.