Principles of Consolidation and Basis of Presentation (Policies)

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2018

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

Consolidation, Policy [Policy Text Block]

The interim consolidated financial statements presented herein include the accounts of Genesee & Wyoming Inc. and its subsidiaries. All significant intercompany transactions and accounts have been eliminated in consolidation. These interim consolidated financial statements have been prepared by the Company pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and are unaudited. They do not contain all disclosures which would be required in a full set of financial statements prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (U.S. GAAP). In the opinion of management, the unaudited financial statements for the three months ended March 31, 2018 and 2017 are presented on a basis consistent with the audited financial statements and contain all adjustments, consisting only of normal recurring adjustments, necessary to provide a fair statement of the results for the interim periods presented. The results of operations for interim periods are not necessarily indicative of results of operations for the full year. The consolidated balance sheet data for 2017 was derived from the audited financial statements in the Company's 2017 Annual Report on Form 10-K, but does not include all disclosures required by U.S. GAAP.

Foreign Currency Transactions and Translations Policy [Policy Text Block]

The results of operations of the foreign entities are maintained in the local currency of the respective subsidiary and translated into United States dollars at the applicable exchange rates for inclusion in the consolidated financial statements. As a result, any appreciation or depreciation of these currencies against the United States dollar will impact the Company's results of operations.

Revenue Recognition, Policy [Policy Text Block]

The Company classifies its operating revenues into the following three categories: freight, freight-related and all other. Revenue is recognized when obligations under the terms of a contract with a customer are satisfied. Revenue is measured as the amount of consideration the Company expects to receive in exchange for providing services. Certain of the countries in which the Company operates have a tax assessed by a governmental authority that is both imposed on and concurrent with a specific revenue-producing transaction between a seller and a customer. The Company records these taxes on a net basis.

The Company generates freight revenues from the haulage of freight by rail based on a per car, per container or per ton basis. Freight revenues are recognized over time as shipments move from origin to destination as the customer simultaneously receives and consumes the benefit. Related expenses are recognized as incurred.

The Company generates freight-related revenues from port terminal railroad operations and industrial switching (where the Company operates trains on a contract basis in facilities it does not own), as well as demurrage, storage, car hire, trucking haulage services, track access rights, transloading, crewing services, traction service (or hook and pull service that requires the Company to provide locomotives and drivers to move a customer's train between specified origin and destination points), and other ancillary revenues related to the movement of freight. Freight-related revenues are recognized as services are performed or as contractual obligations are fulfilled.

The Company generates all other revenues from third-party railcar and locomotive repairs, container sales, property rentals and other ancillary revenues not directly related to the movement of freight. All other revenues are recognized as services are performed or as contractual obligations are fulfilled.

A performance obligation is a promise in a contract to transfer a distinct good or service to the customer. The Company’s contracts may have a single performance obligation or multiple performance obligations. Contracts with multiple obligations are evaluated to define the specific performance obligations to the customer. The Company typically allocates the standalone selling price adjusted for any applicable variable consideration to each performance obligation to determine the transaction price.

For interline traffic, one railroad typically invoices a customer on behalf of all railroads participating in the route. The invoicing railroad then pays the other railroads their portion of the total amount invoiced on a monthly basis. When the Company is the invoicing railroad, it is exposed to customer credit risk for the total amount invoiced and is required to pay the other railroads participating in the route even if the Company is not paid by the customer. The Company records revenue related to interline traffic that involves the services of another party or railroad on a net basis. The portion of the gross amount billed to customers that is remitted by the Company to another party is not reflected as revenue.

The timing of revenue recognition, billings and cash collections result in billed accounts receivables, contract assets (unbilled receivables) and contract liabilities. The Company’s contract assets and liabilities are typically short-term in nature, with terms settled within a 12-month period. The Company had no material contract assets or contract liabilities recorded on the consolidated balance sheet as of March 31, 2018.

Derivatives, Policy [Policy Text Block]

The Company actively monitors its exposure to interest rate and foreign currency exchange rate risks and uses derivative financial instruments to manage the impact of these risks. The Company uses derivatives only for purposes of managing risk associated with underlying exposures. The Company does not trade or use derivative instruments with the objective of earning financial gains on the interest rate or exchange rate fluctuations alone, nor does the Company use derivative instruments where it does not have underlying exposures. Complex instruments involving leverage or multipliers are not used. The Company manages its hedging position and monitors the credit ratings of counterparties and does not anticipate losses due to counterparty nonperformance. Management believes its use of derivative instruments to manage risk is in the Company's best interest. However, the Company's use of derivative financial instruments may result in short-term gains or losses and increased earnings volatility. The Company's instruments are recorded in the consolidated balance sheets at fair value in prepaid expenses and other, other assets, accrued expenses or other long-term liabilities.

The Company may designate derivatives as a hedge of a forecasted transaction or a hedge of the variability of the cash flows to be received or paid in the future related to a recognized asset or liability (cash flow hedge). The portion of the changes in the fair value of the derivative used as a cash flow hedge that is offset by changes in the expected cash flows related to a recognized asset or liability is recorded in other comprehensive income/(loss). As the hedged item is realized, the gain or loss included in accumulated other comprehensive income/(loss) is reported in the consolidated statements of operations on the same line item as the hedged item.

The Company matches the hedge instrument to the underlying hedged item (assets, liabilities, firm commitments or forecasted transactions). At inception of the hedge and at least quarterly thereafter, the Company assesses whether the derivatives used to hedge transactions are highly effective in offsetting changes in either the fair value or cash flows of the hedged item. When it is determined that a derivative ceases to be a highly effective hedge, the Company discontinues hedge accounting, and any gains or losses on the derivative instrument thereafter are recognized in earnings during the period in which it no longer qualifies for hedge accounting.

From time to time, the Company may enter into certain derivative instruments that may not be designated as hedges for accounting purposes. For example, to mitigate currency exposures related to intercompany debt, cross-currency swap contracts may be entered into for periods consistent with the underlying debt. The Company believes such instruments are closely correlated with the underlying exposure, thus reducing the associated risk. The gains or losses from the changes in the fair value of derivative instruments not accounted for using hedge accounting are recognized in current period earnings within other income/(loss), net. Derivative instruments entered into in conjunction with contemplated acquisitions also do not qualify as hedges for accounting purposes.

Fair Value Measurement, Policy [Policy Text Block]

The Company applies the following three-level hierarchy of valuation inputs for measuring fair value:

• Level 1 - Quoted prices for identical assets or liabilities in active markets that the Company has the ability to access at the measurement date.

• Level 2 - Quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets; quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in markets that are not active; and model-derived valuations in which all significant inputs are observable market data.

• Level 3 - Valuations derived from valuation techniques in which one or more significant inputs are unobservable.

The following methods and assumptions were used to estimate the fair value of each class of financial instruments held by the Company:

Financial Instruments Carried at Fair Value: Derivative instruments are recorded on the consolidated balance sheets as either assets or liabilities measured at fair value. During the reporting period, the Company's derivative financial instruments consisted of interest rate swap agreements, foreign currency forward contracts and cross-currency swap agreements. The Company estimated the fair value of its interest rate swap agreements based on Level 2 valuation inputs, including fixed interest rates, LIBOR and BBR implied forward interest rates and the remaining time to maturity. The Company estimated the fair value of its British pound forward contracts based on Level 2 valuation inputs, including LIBOR implied forward interest rates, British pound LIBOR implied forward interest rates and the remaining time to maturity. The Company estimated the fair value of its cross-currency swap agreements based on Level 2 valuation inputs, including EURIBOR implied forward interest rates, BBR implied forward interest rates and the remaining time to maturity.

The Company's recurring fair value measurements using significant unobservable inputs (Level 3) relate to the Company's deferred consideration from the HOG acquisition in 2017. The fair value of the deferred consideration liabilities were estimated by discounting, to present value, contingent payments expected to be made.

Financial Instruments Carried at Historical Cost: Since the Company's long-term debt is not actively traded, fair value was estimated using a discounted cash flow analysis based on Level 2 valuation inputs, including borrowing rates the Company believes are currently available to it for loans with similar terms and maturities.