The size of the North American revenue-earning freight railcar fleet increased by 1 percent in 2012, but has not recovered to pre-recession population levels, according to Railinc’s annual North American Freight Railcar Review.
The 2013 report gives a snapshot of the North American railcar fleet over the previous calendar year and includes statistics and overall trends from the Railinc Umler® system.
“Notably, there was an increase in North America’s three largest sub-fleets, including covered hopper cars, tank cars and gondola cars,” said David Humphrey, Railinc senior analyst. The other North American sub-fleets are hopper cars, flat cars, and box cars.
Among other findings, the review states that:
- Of the sub-fleets that experienced growth in 2012, tanks increased the most, up 4 percent. Hoppers showed the biggest decline, down 3 percent;
- The average age of the revenue-earning fleet decreased slightly in 2012, the first time in four years that the fleet got younger; and
- The trend of cars with a gross rail load (GRL) of 286,000 lbs. predominating the new additions to the revenue-earning fleet continued in 2012.
These details and more, including full-color charts, can be found in the 2013 North American Freight Railcar Review. All data included in the report were compiled from the Railinc Umler® system and represent the period from Jan. 1, 2012, through Dec. 31, 2012.