Business and Customers

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2014

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

Business Description and Basis of Presentation [Text Block]

BUSINESS AND CUSTOMERS:

Unless the context otherwise requires, when used in these consolidated financial statements, the terms "Genesee & Wyoming," "G&W" and the "Company" refer to Genesee & Wyoming Inc. and its subsidiaries. The Company owns and operates short line and regional railroads and provides railcar switching and other rail-related services in the United States, Australia, Canada, the Netherlands and Belgium. In addition, the Company operates the 1,400 mile Tarcoola to Darwin rail line, which links the Port of Darwin with the Australian interstate rail network in South Australia. Operations currently include 116 railroads organized into 11 regions, with approximately 15,600 miles of owned and leased track, approximately 3,300 additional miles under contractual track access arrangements, approximately 5,200 employees and more than 2,000 customers. The Company provides rail service at 37 ports in North America, Australia and Europe and performs contract coal loading and railcar switching for industrial customers. See Note 3, Changes in Operations, for descriptions of the Company's changes in operations in recent years.

The Company's railroads transport a wide variety of commodities. Revenues from the Company's 10 largest customers accounted for approximately 24%, 24% and 31% of the Company's operating revenues in 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively.