Income Taxes	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2012
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Income Taxes	INCOME TAXES: Included in the Company's income from continuing operations before income taxes for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2012 was a $50.1 million mark-to-market expense associated with a contingent forward sale contract, which is a non-deductible expense for income tax purposes. See Note 5 for further details on the contingent forward sale contract. As a result, the Company's provision for income tax was $15.3 million and $46.1 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2012, respectively, which represents 33.4% and 34.1%, respectively, of income from continuing operations other than the mark-to-market expense. The Company’s effective income tax rate was 27.2% in both the three and nine months ended September 30, 2011. The increase in the effective income tax rate for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2012 was primarily attributable to the expiration of the United States Short Line Tax Credit on December 31, 2011. The Short Line Tax Credit is a track maintenance income tax credit for Class II and Class III railroads to reduce their federal income tax based on qualified railroad track maintenance expenditures. Qualified expenditures included amounts incurred for maintaining track, including roadbed, bridges and related track structures owned or leased by a Class II or Class III railroad. The credit was equal to 50% of the qualified expenditures, subject to an annual limitation of $3,500 multiplied by the number of miles of railroad track owned or leased by the Class II or Class III railroad as of the end of their tax year. The Short Line Tax Credit was in existence from 2005 through 2011.

Income Taxes

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2012

INCOME TAXES:

Included in the Company's income from continuing operations before income taxes for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2012 was a $50.1 million mark-to-market expense associated with a contingent forward sale contract, which is a non-deductible expense for income tax purposes. See Note 5 for further details on the contingent forward sale contract. As a result, the Company's provision for income tax was $15.3 million and $46.1 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2012, respectively, which represents 33.4% and 34.1%, respectively, of income from continuing operations other than the mark-to-market expense. The Company’s effective income tax rate was 27.2% in both the three and nine months ended September 30, 2011. The increase in the effective income tax rate for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2012 was primarily attributable to the expiration of the United States Short Line Tax Credit on December 31, 2011.

The Short Line Tax Credit is a track maintenance income tax credit for Class II and Class III railroads to reduce their federal income tax based on qualified railroad track maintenance expenditures. Qualified expenditures included amounts incurred for maintaining track, including roadbed, bridges and related track structures owned or leased by a Class II or Class III railroad. The credit was equal to 50% of the qualified expenditures, subject to an annual limitation of $3,500 multiplied by the number of miles of railroad track owned or leased by the Class II or Class III railroad as of the end of their tax year. The Short Line Tax Credit was in existence from 2005 through 2011.