Changes in Operations	6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2012
Significant Changes in Operations [Abstract]
Changes in Operations	CHANGES IN OPERATIONS: Australia The Company's subsidiary, Genesee & Wyoming Australia Pty Ltd (GWA), entered into an agreement with Asciano Services Pty Ltd (AIO), a subsidiary of Asciano Pty Ltd, whereby GWA purchased an intermodal and freight terminal in Alice Springs, Northern Territory from AIO. Pursuant to the agreement, the Company will sell to AIO certain assets in the township of Cook, South Australia that include a fuel-sales business. The Company completed the purchase of the Alice Springs intermodal and freight terminal in June 2012 for A$9.0 million (or $9.2 million at the exchange rate on June 30, 2012) plus A$0.5 million (or $0.5 million at the exchange rate on June 30, 2012) tax liability for stamp duty (an Australian asset transfer tax). Previously, GWA had leased the facility from AIO. The sale of the assets in Cook is expected to close in the third quarter of 2012 following completion of certain conditions to the closing. The Company expects to receive A$4.0 million (or $4.1 million at the exchange rate on June 30, 2012) in pre-tax cash proceeds from the sale and recognize an after-tax book gain of A$1.3 million (or $1.3 million at the exchange rate on June 30, 2012), or approximately $0.03 per share. United States Columbus & Chattahoochee Railroad, Inc.: In April 2012, the Company's newly formed subsidiary, the Columbus & Chattahoochee Railroad, Inc. (CCH), signed an agreement with Norfolk Southern Railway Company (NS) to lease and operate a 26-mile segment of NS track that runs from Girard, Alabama to Mahrt, Alabama. Operations commenced on July 1, 2012. The CCH interchanges with NS in Columbus, Georgia where the Company's Georgia Southwestern Railroad, Inc. also has operations. The results from CCH’s operations will be included in the Company’s statement of operations effective July 1, 2012 and will be included in the Company’s North American & European Operations segment. Hilton & Albany Railroad, Inc.: In November 2011, the Company's newly formed subsidiary, the Hilton & Albany Railroad, Inc. (HAL), signed an agreement with NS to lease and operate a 56-mile segment of NS track that runs from Hilton, Georgia to Albany, Georgia. Operations commenced on January 1, 2012. The HAL handles primarily overhead traffic between NS and the Company's following railroads: The Bay Line Railroad, L.L.C.; Chattahoochee Bay Railroad, Inc.; Chattahoochee Industrial Railroad; and Georgia Southwestern Railroad, Inc. In addition, the HAL serves several local agricultural and aggregate customers in southwest Georgia. The results from HAL’s operations have been included in the Company’s statement of operations since January 1, 2012 and are included in the Company’s North American & European Operations segment. Arizona Eastern Railway Company: On September 1, 2011, the Company acquired all of the capital stock of Arizona Eastern Railway Company (AZER). The Company paid the seller $89.5 million in cash at closing, which included a reduction to the purchase price of $0.6 million for the estimated working capital adjustment. Based on the final working capital adjustment, the Company recorded an additional $0.8 million of purchase price in December 2011, which was paid to the seller in January 2012. The Company incurred $0.6 million of acquisition costs related to this transaction through December 31, 2011, which were expensed as incurred. The results from AZER’s operations have been included in the Company’s statement of operations since September 1, 2011 and are included in the Company’s North American & European Operations segment. Headquartered near Miami, Arizona, with 43 employees and 10 locomotives, AZER owns and operates two rail lines totaling approximately 200 track miles in southeast Arizona and southwest New Mexico that are connected by 52 miles of trackage rights over the Union Pacific Railroad. The largest customer on AZER is Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc. (Freeport-McMoRan). AZER provides rail service to Freeport-McMoRan’s largest North American copper mine and its North American smelter, hauling copper concentrate, copper anode, copper rod and sulfuric acid. In conjunction with the transaction, AZER and Freeport-McMoRan entered into a long-term transportation agreement. Results from Continuing Operations When comparing the Company’s results from continuing operations from one reporting period to another, it is important to consider that the Company has historically experienced fluctuations in revenues and expenses due to changing economic conditions, acquisitions, competitive forces, changes in foreign currency exchange rates, one-time freight moves, fuel price fluctuations, customer plant expansions and shut-downs, sales of property and equipment, derailments and weather-related conditions, such as hurricanes, cyclones, tornadoes, droughts, heavy snowfall, unseasonably warm or cool weather, freezing and flooding. In periods when these events occur, results of operations are not easily comparable from one period to another. Finally, certain of the Company’s railroads have commodity shipments that are sensitive to general economic conditions, such as steel products, paper products and lumber and forest products, as well as product specific economic conditions, such as the availability of lower priced alternative sources of power generation (coal). Other shipments are relatively less affected by economic conditions and are more closely affected by other factors, such as inventory levels maintained at customer plants (coal), winter weather (salt and coal) and seasonal rainfall (South Australian grain). As a result of these and other factors, the Company’s operating results in any reporting period may not be directly comparable to its operating results in other reporting periods.

CHANGES IN OPERATIONS:

Australia

The Company's subsidiary, Genesee & Wyoming Australia Pty Ltd (GWA), entered into an agreement with Asciano Services Pty Ltd (AIO), a subsidiary of Asciano Pty Ltd, whereby GWA purchased an intermodal and freight terminal in Alice Springs, Northern Territory from AIO. Pursuant to the agreement, the Company will sell to AIO certain assets in the township of Cook, South Australia that include a fuel-sales business. The Company completed the purchase of the Alice Springs intermodal and freight terminal in June 2012 for A$9.0 million (or $9.2 million at the exchange rate on June 30, 2012) plus A$0.5 million (or $0.5 million at the exchange rate on June 30, 2012) tax liability for stamp duty (an Australian asset transfer tax). Previously, GWA had leased the facility from AIO. The sale of the assets in Cook is expected to close in the third quarter of 2012 following completion of certain conditions to the closing. The Company expects to receive A$4.0 million (or $4.1 million at the exchange rate on June 30, 2012) in pre-tax cash proceeds from the sale and recognize an after-tax book gain of A$1.3 million (or $1.3 million at the exchange rate on June 30, 2012), or approximately $0.03 per share.

United States

Columbus & Chattahoochee Railroad, Inc.: In April 2012, the Company's newly formed subsidiary, the Columbus & Chattahoochee Railroad, Inc. (CCH), signed an agreement with Norfolk Southern Railway Company (NS) to lease and operate a 26-mile segment of NS track that runs from Girard, Alabama to Mahrt, Alabama. Operations commenced on July 1, 2012. The CCH interchanges with NS in Columbus, Georgia where the Company's Georgia Southwestern Railroad, Inc. also has operations. The results from CCH’s operations will be included in the Company’s statement of operations effective July 1, 2012 and will be included in the Company’s North American & European Operations segment.

Hilton & Albany Railroad, Inc.: In November 2011, the Company's newly formed subsidiary, the Hilton & Albany Railroad, Inc. (HAL), signed an agreement with NS to lease and operate a 56-mile segment of NS track that runs from Hilton, Georgia to Albany, Georgia. Operations commenced on January 1, 2012. The HAL handles primarily overhead traffic between NS and the Company's following railroads: The Bay Line Railroad, L.L.C.; Chattahoochee Bay Railroad, Inc.; Chattahoochee Industrial Railroad; and Georgia Southwestern Railroad, Inc. In addition, the HAL serves several local agricultural and aggregate customers in southwest Georgia. The results from HAL’s operations have been included in the Company’s statement of operations since January 1, 2012 and are included in the Company’s North American & European Operations segment.

Arizona Eastern Railway Company: On September 1, 2011, the Company acquired all of the capital stock of Arizona Eastern Railway Company (AZER). The Company paid the seller $89.5 million in cash at closing, which included a reduction to the purchase price of $0.6 million for the estimated working capital adjustment. Based on the final working capital adjustment, the Company recorded an additional $0.8 million of purchase price in December 2011, which was paid to the seller in January 2012. The Company incurred $0.6 million of acquisition costs related to this transaction through December 31, 2011, which were expensed as incurred. The results from AZER’s operations have been included in the Company’s statement of operations since September 1, 2011 and are included in the Company’s North American & European Operations segment.

Headquartered near Miami, Arizona, with 43 employees and 10 locomotives, AZER owns and operates two rail lines totaling approximately 200 track miles in southeast Arizona and southwest New Mexico that are connected by 52 miles of trackage rights over the Union Pacific Railroad. The largest customer on AZER is Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc. (Freeport-McMoRan). AZER provides rail service to Freeport-McMoRan’s largest North American copper mine and its North American smelter, hauling copper concentrate, copper anode, copper rod and sulfuric acid. In conjunction with the transaction, AZER and Freeport-McMoRan entered into a long-term transportation agreement.

Results from Continuing Operations

When comparing the Company’s results from continuing operations from one reporting period to another, it is important to consider that the Company has historically experienced fluctuations in revenues and expenses due to changing economic conditions, acquisitions, competitive forces, changes in foreign currency exchange rates, one-time freight moves, fuel price fluctuations, customer plant expansions and shut-downs, sales of property and equipment, derailments and weather-related conditions, such as hurricanes, cyclones, tornadoes, droughts, heavy snowfall, unseasonably warm or cool weather, freezing and flooding. In periods when these events occur, results of operations are not easily comparable from one period to another. Finally, certain of the Company’s railroads have commodity shipments that are sensitive to general economic conditions, such as steel products, paper products and lumber and forest products, as well as product specific economic conditions, such as the availability of lower priced alternative sources of power generation (coal). Other shipments are relatively less affected by economic conditions and are more closely affected by other factors, such as inventory levels maintained at customer plants (coal), winter weather (salt and coal) and seasonal rainfall (South Australian grain). As a result of these and other factors, the Company’s operating results in any reporting period may not be directly comparable to its operating results in other reporting periods.