Earnings per Share Basic and Diluted EPS (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands		3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Dec. 13, 2016	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016
Numerator [Line items]
Net income attributable to Genesee & Wyoming Inc.		$ 50,240	$ 56,785	$ 122,485	$ 132,203
Denominators [Line Items]
Weighted average Class A common shares outstanding – Basic		61,629,000	57,266,000	61,518,000	57,160,000
Weighted average Class B common shares outstanding		723,000	793,000	743,000	793,000
Dilutive effect of employee stock-based awards		125,000	121,000	138,000	130,000
Weighted average shares - Diluted		62,477,000	58,180,000	62,399,000	58,083,000
Earnings per common share [Line Items]
Basic earnings per common share attributable to Genesee & Wyoming Inc. common stockholders:		$ 0.82	$ 0.99	$ 1.99	$ 2.31
Diluted earnings per common share attributable to Genesee & Wyoming Inc. common stockholders		$ 0.80	$ 0.98	$ 1.96	$ 2.28
Class A Common Shares [Member]
Stock Issued During Period, Shares, New Issues	4,000,000