6. Rolling stock

Railway rolling stock is extremely diverse. In the freight sector, the three essential components are mainline locomotives, shunting locomotives, and freight cars.

This equipment may be owned either by the rail operators themselves, or sometimes by siding users, or—quite frequently—by leasing companies that invest by acquiring large fleets, which they then lease to RUs. Since RUs do not always have a clear picture of the long-term stability of their markets, they are reluctant to make long-term commitments and prefer leasing over purchasing. It also happens that RUs lease rolling stock from one another depending on how their needs evolve.