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On Jan. 27, CIT Rail Resources announced it obtained an operating lease from TFM S.A. de C.V. for 250 VersaCoil gondolas to be built by Johnstown America Corp.

Designed to serve TFM's automotive, steel and manufacturing customers, the 60-foot gondolas will feature a "9-Transverse-Trough" design with a single 49-foot lightweight cover and 97 metric-ton capacity. The railroad plans to move the cars in and out of Mexico.

"With an expected increase in demand from both railroads and shippers over the next three years, leasing these 250 VersaCoil gondolas allows TFM to retire its older fleet, optimizes fleet utilization, and gives shipping customers of steel coils added flexibility because of the cars' loading patterns," said CIT Rail Resources President Steve McClure in a prepared statement.

An equipment leasing and financial services provider, CIT Rail Resources owns and manages a fleet of 54,000 rail cars and 550 locomotives.