ARCI: Rail-car orders ratcheted down, deliveries ratcheted up in Q1

In the first quarter, rail-car orders slipped to 12,473 units compared with 16,434 units in fourth-quarter 2011, 20,165 in third-quarter 2011, 16,900 in second-quarter 2011 and 36,903 in first-quarter 2011, according to the American Railway Car Institute Committee (ARCI) of the Railway Supply Institute Inc.

Conversely, car deliveries inched up to 16,816 units versus 16,693 units in fourth-quarter 2011. Deliveries previously totaled 12,519, 10,605 and 7,648 units in the third, second and first quarters of 2011, respectively.

ARCI reports that the rail-car backlog stood at 60,191 units on April 1 versus 64,575 units on Dec. 31, 2011; 65,044 units on Oct. 1, 2011; and 57,308 units on July 1, 2011.