Changes in Operations	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2014
Significant Changes in Operations [Abstract]
Changes in Operations [Text Block]	CHANGES IN OPERATIONS: United States Rapid City, Pierre & Eastern Railroad: In January 2014, the Company and Canadian Pacific (CP) jointly announced their entry into an agreement pursuant to which the Company’s new subsidiary, Rapid City, Pierre & Eastern Railroad, will purchase the assets comprising the western end of CP’s Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern rail line for a cash purchase price of approximately $210 million, subject to certain adjustments including the purchase of materials and supplies, equipment and vehicles. The Company intends to fund the acquisition with borrowings under the Company’s Senior Secured Syndicated Credit Facility Agreement (the Credit Agreement). In conjunction with the acquisition, the Company also intends to amend and expand its Credit Agreement. The acquisition is expected to close late in the second quarter of 2014, subject to approval of the United States Surface Transportation Board (STB) and the satisfaction of other customary closing conditions. The Company expects to hire approximately 180 employees to staff the new railroad and anticipates these employees will come primarily from those currently working on the rail line. The western end encompasses approximately 670 miles of CP’s current operations between Tracy, Minnesota and Rapid City, South Dakota; north of Rapid City to Colony, Wyoming; south of Rapid City to Dakota Junction, Nebraska; and connecting branch lines as well as trackage from Dakota Junction to Crawford, Nebraska, currently leased to the Nebraska Northwestern Railroad. RailAmerica, Inc.: As further described in the Company’s 2013 Annual Report on Form 10-K, on October 1, 2012, the Company acquired 100% of RailAmerica, Inc.’s (RailAmerica) outstanding shares for cash at a price of $27.50 per share, or total consideration of $2.0 billion (equity purchase price of $1.4 billion plus net debt of $659.2 million). Headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida with approximately 2,000 employees, RailAmerica owned and operated 45 short line freight railroads in North America with approximately 7,100 miles of track in 28 U.S. states and three Canadian provinces as of the October 1, 2012 acquisition date. Canada Tata Steel Minerals Canada Ltd.: In August 2012, the Company announced that its newly formed subsidiary, KeRail Inc. (KeRail), entered into a long-term agreement with Tata Steel Minerals Canada Ltd. (TSMC), for KeRail to provide rail transportation services to the direct shipping iron ore mine TSMC is developing near Schefferville, Quebec in the Labrador Trough (the Mine). In addition, KeRail plans to construct an approximately 21-kilometer rail line that will connect the Mine to the Tshiuetin Rail Transportation interchange point in Schefferville. Operated as part of the Company’s Canada Region, KeRail is expected to haul unit trains of iron ore from its rail connection with the Mine, which will then travel over three privately owned railways to the Port of Sept-Îles for export primarily to Tata Steel Limited’s European operations. Track construction has commenced. The rail line is expected to be completed by mid-2014. Results from Operations When comparing the Company’s results from operations from one reporting period to another, it is important to consider that the Company has historically experienced fluctuations in revenues and expenses due to acquisitions, changing economic conditions, competitive forces, changes in foreign currency exchange rates, one-time freight moves, fuel price fluctuations, customer plant expansions and shut-downs, sales of property and equipment, derailments and weather-related conditions, such as hurricanes, cyclones, tornadoes, droughts, heavy snowfall, unseasonably hot or cold weather, freezing and flooding. In periods when these events occur, the Company’s results of operations are not easily comparable from one period to another. Finally, certain of the Company’s railroads have commodity shipments that are sensitive to general economic conditions, such as steel products, paper products and lumber and forest products, as well as product specific economic conditions, such as the availability of lower priced alternative sources of power generation (coal). Other shipments are relatively less affected by economic conditions and are more closely affected by other factors, such as winter weather (salt) and seasonal rainfall (agricultural products). As a result of these and other factors, the Company’s results of operations in any reporting period may not be directly comparable to its results of operations in other reporting periods.

CHANGES IN OPERATIONS:

United States

Rapid City, Pierre & Eastern Railroad: In January 2014, the Company and Canadian Pacific (CP) jointly announced their entry into an agreement pursuant to which the Company’s new subsidiary, Rapid City, Pierre & Eastern Railroad, will purchase the assets comprising the western end of CP’s Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern rail line for a cash purchase price of approximately $210 million, subject to certain adjustments including the purchase of materials and supplies, equipment and vehicles. The Company intends to fund the acquisition with borrowings under the Company’s Senior Secured Syndicated Credit Facility Agreement (the Credit Agreement). In conjunction with the acquisition, the Company also intends to amend and expand its Credit Agreement.

The acquisition is expected to close late in the second quarter of 2014, subject to approval of the United States Surface Transportation Board (STB) and the satisfaction of other customary closing conditions. The Company expects to hire approximately 180 employees to staff the new railroad and anticipates these employees will come primarily from those currently working on the rail line. The western end encompasses approximately 670 miles of CP’s current operations between Tracy, Minnesota and Rapid City, South Dakota; north of Rapid City to Colony, Wyoming; south of Rapid City to Dakota Junction, Nebraska; and connecting branch lines as well as trackage from Dakota Junction to Crawford, Nebraska, currently leased to the Nebraska Northwestern Railroad.

RailAmerica, Inc.: As further described in the Company’s 2013 Annual Report on Form 10-K, on October 1, 2012, the Company acquired 100% of RailAmerica, Inc.’s (RailAmerica) outstanding shares for cash at a price of $27.50 per share, or total consideration of $2.0 billion (equity purchase price of $1.4 billion plus net debt of $659.2 million). Headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida with approximately 2,000 employees, RailAmerica owned and operated 45 short line freight railroads in North America with approximately 7,100 miles of track in 28 U.S. states and three Canadian provinces as of the October 1, 2012 acquisition date.

Canada

Tata Steel Minerals Canada Ltd.: In August 2012, the Company announced that its newly formed subsidiary, KeRail Inc. (KeRail), entered into a long-term agreement with Tata Steel Minerals Canada Ltd. (TSMC), for KeRail to provide rail transportation services to the direct shipping iron ore mine TSMC is developing near Schefferville, Quebec in the Labrador Trough (the Mine). In addition, KeRail plans to construct an approximately 21-kilometer rail line that will connect the Mine to the Tshiuetin Rail Transportation interchange point in Schefferville. Operated as part of the Company’s Canada Region, KeRail is expected to haul unit trains of iron ore from its rail connection with the Mine, which will then travel over three privately owned railways to the Port of Sept-Îles for export primarily to Tata Steel Limited’s European operations. Track construction has commenced. The rail line is expected to be completed by mid-2014.

Results from Operations

When comparing the Company’s results from operations from one reporting period to another, it is important to consider that the Company has historically experienced fluctuations in revenues and expenses due to acquisitions, changing economic conditions, competitive forces, changes in foreign currency exchange rates, one-time freight moves, fuel price fluctuations, customer plant expansions and shut-downs, sales of property and equipment, derailments and weather-related conditions, such as hurricanes, cyclones, tornadoes, droughts, heavy snowfall, unseasonably hot or cold weather, freezing and flooding. In periods when these events occur, the Company’s results of operations are not easily comparable from one period to another. Finally, certain of the Company’s railroads have commodity shipments that are sensitive to general economic conditions, such as steel products, paper products and lumber and forest products, as well as product specific economic conditions, such as the availability of lower priced alternative sources of power generation (coal). Other shipments are relatively less affected by economic conditions and are more closely affected by other factors, such as winter weather (salt) and seasonal rainfall (agricultural products). As a result of these and other factors, the Company’s results of operations in any reporting period may not be directly comparable to its results of operations in other reporting periods.