RAILINC LOCOMOTIVE REVIEW 2021
MINOR ADJUSTMENTS —AND NOT MUCH NEW Fleet size is down a little as age sees a slight uptick. But brand-new units remain scarce.
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BY DAVID HUMPHREY, PH.D., SENIOR DATA SCIENTIST, RAILINC CORP., FOR RAILWAY AGE
ailinc’s analysis of the North American freight locomotive f leet reveals that the size of the total f leet decreased slightly in 2020. Detailed analysis reveals the railwayage.com
following trends: • At the end of 2020, the freight locomotive f leet totaled 38,453 units, down 672 units from 2019. • The average age increased 0.8 years, to 28.1 years, and the median age also
increased 0.8 years, to 23.8 years. This was the eleventh consecutive year the average and median ages increased. • Most new additions to the f leet since the mid-1990s have been six-axle locomotives with a horsepower rating May 2021 // Railway Age 41
