According to the Railway Supply Institute, which is a trade association for rail suppliers, railcar orders for the full second quarter of 2021 are up measurably. Their data indicates for the latest quarter, just under 9,500 railcars were ordered, compared to 6,200 for the first quarter and just 3,400 for the fourth quarter 2020. While it is the case that we now follow a dreadful business period during 2020, this is an important indicator of positive thinking about future business conditions, coupled with some attempt to make up for the meager orders last year.
RSI also reported that the backlog in orders increased slightly in the last quarter, from 34,800 units to 37,500 units. A solid booking of order backlogs should keep the manufacturing industry in good stead for the future.
We’ve also reported recently that railcar manufacturers are charging a premium these days to account for the inflation in steel and other supplier charges. So; orders are up at the same time pricing is up. This is a sure sign of demand.