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During the fourth quarter, rail-car deliveries totaling 17,975 units increased 5.8 percent compared with the third quarter and 24.6 percent compared with fourth-quarter 2004, according to data released by the American Railway Car Institute Committee (ARCI) of the Railway Supply Institute.

Full-year deliveries totaling 68,657 units rose 46.5 percent compared with 2004’s 46,871 deliveries. In 2003 and 2002, deliveries totaled 32,184 units and 17,714 units, respectively.

Fourth-quarter car orders totaled 26,569 units, a 52 percent and 117 percent increase compared with the third quarter and fourth-quarter 2004, respectively. Full-year orders rose 14 percent to 80,703 units compared with 2004. In 2003 and 2002, orders totaled 47,249 units and 28,457 units, respectively.

The car backlog as of Dec. 31 totaled 69,408 units, a 13 percent increase compared with the 60,986-unit backlog on Oct. 1 and 19 percent rise compared with the 58,677-unit backlog on Dec. 31, 2004. Last year’s backlog previously stood at 60,544 units on July 1 and 59,416 units on April 1, ARCI said.