Income Taxes (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2014

Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]

Schedule of Income before Income Tax, Domestic and Foreign [Table Text Block]

The components of income before income taxes and income from equity investment for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 were as follows (dollars in thousands):

	2014		2013		2012
United States	$	276,594	$	211,889	$	5,598
Foreign	91,519		106,498		77,680
Total	$	368,113	$	318,387	$	83,278

Schedule of Components of Income Tax Expense (Benefit) [Table Text Block]

The components of the provision for income taxes for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 were as follows (dollars in thousands):

	2014		2013		2012
United States:
Current
Federal	$	15,647	$	6,571	$	3,582
State	7,134		6,031		3,752
Deferred
Federal	49,799		62		17,382
State	8,727		4,890		906
	81,307		17,554		25,622
Foreign:
Current	17,591		22,697		9,907
Deferred	8,209		6,045		10,873
	25,800		28,742		20,780
Total	$	107,107	$	46,296	$	46,402

Schedule of Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation [Table Text Block]

The following is a summary of the effective tax rate reconciliation for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012:

	2014		2013		2012
Tax provision at statutory rate	35.0	%	35.0	%	35.0	%
Effect of acquisitions/divestitures	—	%	—	%	24.8	%
Effect of foreign operations	(1.7	)%	(2.1	)%	(7.7	)%
State income taxes, net of federal income tax benefit	2.8	%	2.2	%	3.8	%
Benefit of track maintenance credit	(7.3	)%	(21.0	)%	—	%
Other, net	0.3	%	0.4	%	(0.3	)%
Effective income tax rate	29.1	%	14.5	%	55.6	%

Schedule of Deferred Tax Assets and Liabilities [Table Text Block]

The components of net deferred income taxes as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 were as follows (dollars in thousands):

	2014			2013
Deferred tax assets:
Track maintenance credit	$	227,102		$	221,278
Net operating loss carryforwards	16,008			14,577
Accruals and reserves not deducted for tax purposes until paid	11,027			19,848
Stock-based compensation	6,954			6,348
Deferred revenue	3,652			1,216
Deferred compensation	2,810			2,974
Foreign tax credit	1,964			1,964
Nonshareholder contributions	1,871			2,304
Interest rate swaps	1,664			—
Alternative minimum tax credit	1,592			1,592
Postretirement benefits	425			811
Other	457			119
	275,526			273,031
Valuation allowance	(14,793		)	(12,194		)
Deferred tax liabilities:
Property basis difference	(1,088,572		)	(1,029,492		)
Interest rate swaps	—			(13,985		)
Other	(1,519		)	(1,884		)
Net deferred tax liabilities	$	(829,358	)	$	(784,524	)

Summary of Valuation Allowance [Table Text Block]

A reconciliation of the beginning and ending amount of the Company's valuation allowance is as follows (dollars in thousands):

	2014
Balance at beginning of year	$	12,194
Increase for state net operating losses	2,599
Balance at end of year	$	14,793

Summary of Income Tax Contingencies [Table Text Block]

A reconciliation of the beginning and ending amount of the Company's liability for uncertain tax positions is as follows (dollars in thousands):

	2014		2013		2012
Balance at beginning of year	$	3,155	$	3,155	$	—
Increase for acquired subsidiary	—		—		3,370
Increase for tax positions related to the current year	1,169		—		—
Reductions for tax positions of prior years	—		—		(215		)
Balance at end of year	$	4,324	$	3,155	$	3,155

Summary of Income Tax Examinations [Table Text Block]

As of December 31, 2014, the following tax years remain open to examination by the major taxing jurisdictions to which the Company is subject:

	Open Tax Years
Jurisdiction	From		To
United States	2001	-	2014
Australia	2010	-	2014
Canada	2010	-	2014
Mexico	2008	-	2014
Netherlands	2013	-	2014
Belgium	2009	-	2014