Income Taxes (Details 7) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Capital loss carryforwards utilized	$ 8,900,000	$ 5,400,000
Operating loss carryforwards	362,500,000
Valuation Allowance, Amount	8,613,000	5,251,000
Tax credits percentage of qualified maintenance expenditures to reduce federal income tax	50.00%
Tax credits limitation per mile on maintenance expenditures to reduce federal income tax	3,500
Capital loss carryforwards	0
Track maintenance credit carryforward	129,486,000	38,238,000
Capital loss carryforward [Member]
Valuation Allowance, Deferred Tax Asset, Change in Amount	(5,251,000)
RailAmerica [Member] \| Net operating losses [Member]
Valuation Allowance, Deferred Tax Asset, Change in Amount	$ 8,613,000

The cumulative amount of future tax effects arising from the unused tax credit carryforward that cannot be utilized on the tax return during a year that may be carried forward to reduce taxable income or taxes payable in a future year; a tax credit carryforward is the amount by which tax credits available for utilization exceed statutory limitations.

+ References+ Details

The amount of the valuation allowance recorded as of the balance sheet date pertaining to the specified deferred tax asset for which an assessment was made that it is more likely than not that all or a portion of such deferred tax asset will not be realized through related deductions on future tax returns.

+ References+ Details

- Definition

The amount of the change in the period in the valuation allowance for a specified deferred tax asset.

+ References+ Details