While orders of 6,227 railcars were up 83% from fourth-quarter 2020’s 3,397, they “still remain below pre-pandemic levels, which averaged at about 9,300 railcars per quarter in 2019,” according to ARCI. First-quarter 2021 orders were virtually flat (up 0.89%) compared with first-quarter 2020’s 6,172 cars. For the first three months of 2021, carbuilders posted a backlog of 34,829, nearly flat (up 0.67%) with 34,598 in fourth-quarter 2020, “where it hit the lowest point since 2010,” ARCI noted; and down 25% from 46,330 at the end of first-quarter 2020. Deliveries during first-quarter 2021 were 5,996 cars, a decrease of 3.5% from the previous quarter’s 6,216; and a 45% falloff from 10,824 in first-quarter 2020. The post ARCI 1Q21: Railcar Orders on the Rebound? appeared first on Railway Age. Continue reading...