Progressive Railroading's 2013 Finance & Leasing Guide - Preface

— by Pat Foran, Editor

Last year at this time, rail asset owners and lenders felt good about 2012's prospects. Their assessment turned out to be spot-on accurate: By many accounts, 2012 was a pretty good year for the rail finance and leasing sector. This year? Demand for tank cars is still high, but demand for other car types isn't. Asset owners are worried about asset values, lessors about lease rates, planners about their planning models (market dynamics are changing) and finance folks about the interest rate and credit environment. As for the economy? Cautious optimism still rules. Nevertheless, if what we're hearing is any indication, this crowd's 2013 outlook is glummer than its 2012 assessment — but only slightly. For a sampling of their sentiments, read "Rail finance and leasing outlook: What are the key issues in 2013?" and "Rail finance and leasing outlook: What has been the biggest change during the past 10 years? What will the next big change be?"