Segment Information Disaggregation of Revenue (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Operating revenue	$ 583,694	$ 603,304	$ 1,713,263	$ 1,772,955
Freight [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Operating revenue	410,149	423,374	1,196,619	1,241,245
Freight [Member] | Agricultural Products [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Operating revenue	37,968	35,768	110,078	110,342
Freight [Member] | Autos & Auto Parts [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Operating revenue	6,339	5,513	17,905	16,686
Freight [Member] | Chemicals & Plastics [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Operating revenue	39,518	38,436	116,504	113,625
Freight [Member] | Coal & Coke [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Operating revenue	52,129	57,951	153,607	167,295
Freight [Member] | Food & Kindred Products [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Operating revenue	8,355	8,761	25,559	25,587
Freight [Member] | Intermodal [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Operating revenue	73,905	76,661	221,644	244,229
Freight [Member] | Lumber & Forest Products [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Operating revenue	22,862	24,113	68,238	70,362
Freight [Member] | Metallic Ores [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Operating revenue	11,261	12,487	32,060	35,586
Freight [Member] | Metals [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Operating revenue	28,115	34,904	87,032	95,791
Freight [Member] | Minerals & Stone [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Operating revenue	65,050	62,980	176,349	177,218
Freight [Member] | Petroleum Product [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Operating revenue	19,833	18,559	59,291	53,537
Freight [Member] | Pulp & Paper [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Operating revenue	30,648	31,961	88,940	90,346
Freight [Member] | Waste [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Operating revenue	8,278	8,089	23,104	21,316
Freight [Member] | Other Commodity [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Operating revenue	5,888	7,191	16,308	19,325
Freight-related [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Operating revenue	141,369	145,450	420,027	429,049
All other revenue [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Operating revenue	32,176	34,480	96,617	102,661
North American Operations [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Operating revenue	352,442	355,709	1,026,735	1,020,896
North American Operations [Member] | Freight [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Operating revenue	268,025	273,432	778,969	778,717
North American Operations [Member] | Freight [Member] | Agricultural Products [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Operating revenue	34,574	30,565	99,383	91,630
North American Operations [Member] | Freight [Member] | Autos & Auto Parts [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Operating revenue	6,339	5,513	17,905	16,686
North American Operations [Member] | Freight [Member] | Chemicals & Plastics [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Operating revenue	39,518	38,436	116,504	113,625
North American Operations [Member] | Freight [Member] | Coal & Coke [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Operating revenue	18,336	23,006	56,089	62,038
North American Operations [Member] | Freight [Member] | Food & Kindred Products [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Operating revenue	8,355	8,761	25,559	25,587
North American Operations [Member] | Freight [Member] | Intermodal [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Operating revenue	461	514	1,439	1,203
North American Operations [Member] | Freight [Member] | Lumber & Forest Products [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Operating revenue	22,862	24,113	68,238	70,362
North American Operations [Member] | Freight [Member] | Metallic Ores [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Operating revenue	4,225	3,573	9,883	10,816
North American Operations [Member] | Freight [Member] | Metals [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Operating revenue	28,115	34,904	87,032	95,791
North American Operations [Member] | Freight [Member] | Minerals & Stone [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Operating revenue	41,399	38,570	111,806	107,122
North American Operations [Member] | Freight [Member] | Petroleum Product [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Operating revenue	19,027	18,236	56,779	52,870
North American Operations [Member] | Freight [Member] | Pulp & Paper [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Operating revenue	30,648	31,961	88,940	90,346
North American Operations [Member] | Freight [Member] | Waste [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Operating revenue	8,278	8,089	23,104	21,316
North American Operations [Member] | Freight [Member] | Other Commodity [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Operating revenue	5,888	7,191	16,308	19,325
North American Operations [Member] | Freight-related [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Operating revenue	68,129	66,045	198,740	193,344
North American Operations [Member] | All other revenue [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Operating revenue	16,288	16,232	49,026	48,835
Australia Operations [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Operating revenue	71,600	76,703	203,238	230,566
Australia Operations [Member] | Freight [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Operating revenue	61,457	65,249	174,199	194,335
Australia Operations [Member] | Freight [Member] | Agricultural Products [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Operating revenue	2,631	4,150	8,684	15,639
Australia Operations [Member] | Freight [Member] | Autos & Auto Parts [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Operating revenue	0	0	0	0
Australia Operations [Member] | Freight [Member] | Chemicals & Plastics [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Operating revenue	0	0	0	0
Australia Operations [Member] | Freight [Member] | Coal & Coke [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Operating revenue	33,187	32,357	91,323	96,506
Australia Operations [Member] | Freight [Member] | Food & Kindred Products [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Operating revenue	0	0	0	0
Australia Operations [Member] | Freight [Member] | Intermodal [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Operating revenue	16,446	17,538	45,705	50,613
Australia Operations [Member] | Freight [Member] | Lumber & Forest Products [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Operating revenue	0	0	0	0
Australia Operations [Member] | Freight [Member] | Metallic Ores [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Operating revenue	7,036	8,914	22,177	24,770
Australia Operations [Member] | Freight [Member] | Metals [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Operating revenue	0	0	0	0
Australia Operations [Member] | Freight [Member] | Minerals & Stone [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Operating revenue	1,979	2,066	5,834	6,247
Australia Operations [Member] | Freight [Member] | Petroleum Product [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Operating revenue	178	224	476	560
Australia Operations [Member] | Freight [Member] | Pulp & Paper [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Operating revenue	0	0	0	0
Australia Operations [Member] | Freight [Member] | Waste [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Operating revenue	0	0	0	0
Australia Operations [Member] | Freight [Member] | Other Commodity [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Operating revenue	0	0	0	0
Australia Operations [Member] | Freight-related [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Operating revenue	8,011	10,136	23,902	32,214
Australia Operations [Member] | All other revenue [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Operating revenue	2,132	1,318	5,137	4,017
U.K./European Operations [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Operating revenue	159,652	170,892	483,290	521,493
U.K./European Operations [Member] | Freight [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Operating revenue	80,667	84,693	243,451	268,193
U.K./European Operations [Member] | Freight [Member] | Agricultural Products [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Operating revenue	763	1,053	2,011	3,073
U.K./European Operations [Member] | Freight [Member] | Autos & Auto Parts [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Operating revenue	0	0	0	0
U.K./European Operations [Member] | Freight [Member] | Chemicals & Plastics [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Operating revenue	0	0	0	0
U.K./European Operations [Member] | Freight [Member] | Coal & Coke [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Operating revenue	606	2,588	6,195	8,751
U.K./European Operations [Member] | Freight [Member] | Food & Kindred Products [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Operating revenue	0	0	0	0
U.K./European Operations [Member] | Freight [Member] | Intermodal [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Operating revenue	56,998	58,609	174,500	192,413
U.K./European Operations [Member] | Freight [Member] | Lumber & Forest Products [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Operating revenue	0	0	0	0
U.K./European Operations [Member] | Freight [Member] | Metallic Ores [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Operating revenue	0	0	0	0
U.K./European Operations [Member] | Freight [Member] | Metals [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Operating revenue	0	0	0	0
U.K./European Operations [Member] | Freight [Member] | Minerals & Stone [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Operating revenue	21,672	22,344	58,709	63,849
U.K./European Operations [Member] | Freight [Member] | Petroleum Product [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Operating revenue	628	99	2,036	107
U.K./European Operations [Member] | Freight [Member] | Pulp & Paper [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Operating revenue	0	0	0	0
U.K./European Operations [Member] | Freight [Member] | Waste [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Operating revenue	0	0	0	0
U.K./European Operations [Member] | Freight [Member] | Other Commodity [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Operating revenue	0	0	0	0
U.K./European Operations [Member] | Freight-related [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Operating revenue	65,229	69,269	197,385	203,491
U.K./European Operations [Member] | All other revenue [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Operating revenue	$ 13,756	$ 16,930	$ 42,454	$ 49,809