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U.K. Pension Plan
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2017
Defined Benefit Plan [Abstract]  
U.K. Pension Plan
U.K. PENSION PLAN:
In connection with the acquisition of Freightliner, the Company assumed a defined benefit pension plan for its U.K. employees through a standalone shared cost arrangement within the Railways Pension Scheme (Pension Program). The Pension Program is managed and administered by a professional pension administration company and is overseen by trustees with professional advice from independent actuaries and other advisers. The Pension Program is a shared cost arrangement with required contributions shared between Freightliner and its employees, with Freightliner contributing 60% and the remaining 40% contributed by active employees. The Company engages independent actuaries to compute the amounts of liabilities and expenses relating to the Pension Program subject to the assumptions that the Company selects.
The following tables summarize the components of the Pension Program related to the net benefit costs recognized in labor and benefits in the Company's consolidated statements of operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017 and 2016 (amounts in thousands):
 
Three Months Ended September 30,
 
2017
 
2016
 
GBP
 
USD
 
GBP
 
USD
Service cost
£
2,988

 
$
3,909

 
£
2,394

 
$
3,143

Interest cost
1,978

 
2,588

 
2,227

 
2,923

Expected return on plan assets
(3,307
)
 
(4,327
)
 
(2,846
)
 
(3,737
)
Net periodic benefit cost
£
1,659

 
$
2,170

 
£
1,775

 
$
2,329


 
Nine Months Ended September 30,
 
2017
 
2016
 
GBP
 
USD
 
GBP
 
USD
Service cost
£
8,964

 
$
11,434

 
£
7,182

 
$
10,006

Interest cost
5,934

 
7,569

 
6,681

 
9,308

Expected return on plan assets
(9,921
)
 
(12,655
)
 
(8,538
)
 
(11,896
)
Net periodic benefit cost
£
4,977

 
$
6,348

 
£
5,325

 
$
7,418

During the nine months ended September 30, 2017, the Company contributed £4.5 million (or $6.0 million at the September 30, 2017 exchange rate) to fund the Pension Program. The Company expects to contribute £2.6 million (or $3.5 million at the September 30, 2017 exchange rate) to the Pension Program for the remainder of 2017. The Pension Program's assets may undergo significant changes over time as a result of market conditions, and its assets and liabilities are formally valued on an independent actuarial basis every three years to assess the adequacy of funding levels. A key element of the valuation process is an assessment of the creditworthiness of the participating employer. This valuation process is currently underway for the three year period that ended December 31, 2016. In the event that the Pension Program's projected assets and liabilities reveal additional funding requirements, the shared cost arrangement generally means that the Company will be required to pay 60% of any additional contributions, with active members contributing the remaining 40%, in each case over an agreed recovery period. If the Pension Program was to be terminated and wound up, any deficit would fall entirely on the Company and could not be shared with active members. Currently, the Company has no intention of terminating the Pension Program.