1Q freight car orders top all of 2010

Orders for new freight cars soared to 36,900 in this year’s firstquarter, sharply exceeding expectations and easily topping the total of just more than 30,000 cars ordered last year.

This year’s orders included multi-year contracts for 16,000 tank cars, which Economic Planning Associates President Peter M. Toja termed “phenomenal.” Boxcar orders, which are increasingly rare, totaled 1,600 in the first quarter.

Earlier, Wabtec noted that the supply of freight cars was getting tight. AmericanRailcar Industries noted that its average revenue per car was up around 20% in thefirst quarter compared with the fourth quarter of 2010.