The total size of the North American rail equipment fleet decreased slightly during the third quarter of 2016. The total equipment count was 2,073,563, compared to 2,076,537 during the second quarter, resulting in a 0.1 percent decrease.
The three largest segments this quarter were covered hoppers (27 percent), tank cars (21 percent), and gondolas (12 percent).
Groups experiencing the largest increases from the last quarter were led by end-of-train devices and miscellaneous equipment, up 3.1 percent and 2.2 percent respectively. Declines this quarter were led by intermodal and gondolas, down about 2.4 percent and 2.1 percent, respectively.
The total count of equipment in the revenue-earning fleet currently stands at 1.633 million, up 0.3 percent from the previous quarter. The revenue-earning fleet is a subset of the North American rail fleet that is largely composed of freight cars that can be used in interchange service and against which an interline waybill can be placed. The revenue-earning fleet of freight cars is made up of six sub-fleets: box cars, covered hoppers, flats, gondolas, open hoppers and tank cars. It excludes locomotives, intermodal trailers and containers, maintenance-of-way equipment and end-of-train devices.
Data Source: Railinc Umler® System. Data represents all equipment units on file, including pre-registered, restricted and scrap units.
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