Changes in Operations (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Changes in Operations [Abstract]

Schedule of Business Acquisitions, by Acquisition [Table Text Block]

The acquisition-date fair values assigned to the acquired net assets of AZER and FreightLink were as follows (dollars in thousands):

	AZER		FreightLink
Purchase Price Allocations:	USD		AUD		USD
Accounts receivable, net	$	3,096	$	161	$	155
Materials and supplies	—		3,328		3,209
Prepaid expenses and other	2,319		101		97
Property and equipment	90,129		331,201		319,311
Total assets	95,544		334,791		322,772
Accounts Payable	1,794		—		—
Accrued expenses	3,418		731		705
Long-term debt	—		1,806		1,741
Deferred income tax liability	—		318		307
Net assets	$	90,332	$	331,936	$	320,019

Business Acquisition, Pro Forma Information [Table Text Block]

The following pro forma financial statements do not include the impact of any potential operating efficiencies, savings from expected synergies, costs to integrate the operations or costs necessary to achieve savings from expected synergies or the impact of derivative instruments that the Company has entered into or may enter into to mitigate interest rate or currency exchange rate risk (dollars in thousands, except per share amounts):

	2010		2009
Operating revenues	$	717,306	$	627,767
Net income attributable to Genesee & Wyoming Inc.	$	107,420	$	54,097
Earnings per common share attributable to Genesee & Wyoming Inc. common shareholders:
Basic earnings per common share from continuing operations	$	2.70	$	1.46
Diluted earnings per common share from continuing operations	$	2.50	$	1.35