Consolidated Statements of Operations (USD $) In Millions, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Revenues:
Total revenues	$ 3,811.9	$ 2,938.3	$ 1,930.7
Cost of revenues:
Total cost of revenues	3,051.5	2,357.5	1,491.2
Selling, engineering, and administrative expenses:
Total selling, engineering, and administrative expenses	224.1	194.0	165.4
Gains on disposition of property, plant, and equipment:
Net gains on railcar lease fleet sales	33.5	16.2	6.6
Disposition of flood-damaged property, plant, and equipment	0.4	17.6	9.7
Other	4.6	6.2	3.8
Total gains on disposition of property, plant, and equipment	38.5	40.0	20.1
Total operating profit	574.8	426.8	294.2
Other (income) expense:
Interest income	(1.5)	(1.5)	(1.4)
Interest expense	194.7	185.3	182.1
Other, net	(4.3)	4.0	6.8
Other (income) expense, total	188.9	187.8	187.5
Income from continuing operations before income taxes	385.9	239.0	106.7
Provision (benefit) for income taxes:
Current	7.7	31.7	(31.2)
Deferred	126.3	60.5	68.5
Provision for income taxes	134.0	92.2	37.3
Net income from continuing operations	251.9	146.8	69.4
Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of provision (benefit) for income taxes of $1.1, $(0.4), and $3.6	1.8	(1.1)	6.0
Net income	253.7	145.7	75.4
Net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interest	(1.5)	3.5	8.0
Net income attributable to Trinity Industries, Inc.	255.2	142.2	67.4
Net income (loss) attributable to Trinity Industries, Inc. per common share:
Basic, Continuing operations (in dollars per share)	$ 3.18	$ 1.78	$ 0.77
Basic, Discontinued operations (in dollars per share)	$ 0.02	$ (0.01)	$ 0.08
Basic (in dollars per share)	$ 3.20	$ 1.77	$ 0.85
Diluted, Continuing operations (in dollars per share)	$ 3.17	$ 1.78	$ 0.77
Diluted, Discontinued operations (in dollars per share)	$ 0.02	$ (0.01)	$ 0.08
Diluted (in dollars per share)	$ 3.19	$ 1.77	$ 0.85
Weighted average number of shares outstanding:
Basic (in shares)	77.3	77.5	76.8
Diluted (in shares)	77.5	77.8	77.0
Dividends declared per common share (in dollars per share)	$ 0.42	$ 0.35	$ 0.32
Manufacturing
Revenues:
Total revenues	3,167.5	2,386.9	1,466.2
Cost of revenues:
Total cost of revenues	2,649.9	2,039.3	1,236.3
Selling, engineering, and administrative expenses:
Total selling, engineering, and administrative expenses	143.4	127.1	111.4
Leasing
Revenues:
Total revenues	644.4	551.4	464.5
Cost of revenues:
Total cost of revenues	350.3	290.3	244.0
Selling, engineering, and administrative expenses:
Total selling, engineering, and administrative expenses	29.4	23.4	20.1
Other
Cost of revenues:
Total cost of revenues	51.3	27.9	10.9
Selling, engineering, and administrative expenses:
Total selling, engineering, and administrative expenses	$ 51.3	$ 43.5	$ 33.9