ARCI: 2Q23 Freight Car Numbers on the Rise
Written by Marybeth Luczak, Executive Editor
(Photograph by William C. Vantuono)
Newly released data by the Railway Supply Institute (RSI) American Railway Car Institute Committee (ARCI) shows increases in railcar orders, deliveries and backlog in 2023’s second quarter—both sequentially and year-over-year.
The data includes information on covered hoppers (over 5,500 c/f, 3,500-5,500 c/f, under 3,500 c/f); open top hoppers (steel, aluminum); gondolas (GB steel, GT steel, GT aluminum); flat cars (non-intermodal, intermodal); non-articulated/articulated (five-unit platforms, other platforms)l; and tank cars.
In second-quarter 2023, railcar orders rose 95% to 16,194 from first-quarter 2023’s 8,307; deliveries were up 6% to 11,919 from the prior quarter’s 11,296; and backlog was up 7% to 59,878 from the prior quarter’s 56,062.
Railcar orders, deliveries and backlog for second-quarter 2023 also showed gains over second-quarter 2022: orders were up 45% from the 11,177 posted the same period last year; deliveries were up 24% from the 9,629 logged in second-quarter 2022; and backlog was up 26% from the 47,461 logged for the same period last year.
