Revenue (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2018	Mar. 31, 2017
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Contract with Customer, Liability	$ 0
Freight revenues	399,639	$ 377,745
Freight-related revenues	141,197	119,337
All other revenues	33,825	22,026
Operating Revenues	574,661	519,108
Contract with Customer, Asset, Net	0
Agricultural Products [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Freight revenues	38,090	40,463
Autos & Auto Parts [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Freight revenues	5,367	5,210
Chemicals & Plastics [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Freight revenues	36,217	37,515
Coal & Coke [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Freight revenues	55,000	54,654
Food & Kindred Products [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Freight revenues	8,350	8,274
Intermodal [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Freight revenues	83,603	78,040
Lumber & Forest Products [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Freight revenues	22,439	20,376
Metallic Ores [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Freight revenues	11,304	11,527
Metals [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Freight revenues	28,394	26,594
Minerals & Stone [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Freight revenues	51,791	41,549
Petroleum Product [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Freight revenues	18,634	18,557
Pulp & Paper [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Freight revenues	28,871	25,478
Waste [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Freight revenues	5,888	5,194
Other Commodity [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Freight revenues	5,691	4,314
North American Operations [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Freight revenues	245,417	238,281
Freight-related revenues	63,832	65,345
All other revenues	16,381	15,850
Operating Revenues	325,630	319,476
North American Operations [Member] | Agricultural Products [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Freight revenues	31,372	32,978
North American Operations [Member] | Autos & Auto Parts [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Freight revenues	5,367	5,210
North American Operations [Member] | Chemicals & Plastics [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Freight revenues	36,217	37,515
North American Operations [Member] | Coal & Coke [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Freight revenues	19,945	21,733
North American Operations [Member] | Food & Kindred Products [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Freight revenues	8,350	8,274
North American Operations [Member] | Intermodal [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Freight revenues	309	177
North American Operations [Member] | Lumber & Forest Products [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Freight revenues	22,439	20,376
North American Operations [Member] | Metallic Ores [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Freight revenues	3,573	3,896
North American Operations [Member] | Metals [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Freight revenues	28,394	26,594
North American Operations [Member] | Minerals & Stone [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Freight revenues	30,518	28,115
North American Operations [Member] | Petroleum Product [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Freight revenues	18,483	18,427
North American Operations [Member] | Pulp & Paper [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Freight revenues	28,871	25,478
North American Operations [Member] | Waste [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Freight revenues	5,888	5,194
North American Operations [Member] | Other Commodity [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Freight revenues	5,691	4,314
Australian Operations [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Freight revenues	63,011	60,874
Freight-related revenues	10,563	11,709
All other revenues	1,260	1,324
Operating Revenues	74,834	73,907
Australian Operations [Member] | Agricultural Products [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Freight revenues	5,483	5,746
Australian Operations [Member] | Autos & Auto Parts [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Freight revenues	0	0
Australian Operations [Member] | Chemicals & Plastics [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Freight revenues	0	0
Australian Operations [Member] | Coal & Coke [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Freight revenues	31,579	29,521
Australian Operations [Member] | Food & Kindred Products [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Freight revenues	0	0
Australian Operations [Member] | Intermodal [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Freight revenues	15,973	15,867
Australian Operations [Member] | Lumber & Forest Products [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Freight revenues	0	0
Australian Operations [Member] | Metallic Ores [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Freight revenues	7,731	7,631
Australian Operations [Member] | Metals [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Freight revenues	0	0
Australian Operations [Member] | Minerals & Stone [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Freight revenues	2,094	1,979
Australian Operations [Member] | Petroleum Product [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Freight revenues	151	130
Australian Operations [Member] | Pulp & Paper [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Freight revenues	0	0
Australian Operations [Member] | Waste [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Freight revenues	0	0
Australian Operations [Member] | Other Commodity [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Freight revenues	0	0
U.K./European Operations [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Freight revenues	91,211	78,590
Freight-related revenues	66,802	42,283
All other revenues	16,184	4,852
Operating Revenues	174,197	125,725
U.K./European Operations [Member] | Agricultural Products [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Freight revenues	1,235	1,739
U.K./European Operations [Member] | Autos & Auto Parts [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Freight revenues	0	0
U.K./European Operations [Member] | Chemicals & Plastics [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Freight revenues	0	0
U.K./European Operations [Member] | Coal & Coke [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Freight revenues	3,476	3,400
U.K./European Operations [Member] | Food & Kindred Products [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Freight revenues	0	0
U.K./European Operations [Member] | Intermodal [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Freight revenues	67,321	61,996
U.K./European Operations [Member] | Lumber & Forest Products [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Freight revenues	0	0
U.K./European Operations [Member] | Metallic Ores [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Freight revenues	0	0
U.K./European Operations [Member] | Metals [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Freight revenues	0	0
U.K./European Operations [Member] | Minerals & Stone [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Freight revenues	19,179	11,455
U.K./European Operations [Member] | Petroleum Product [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Freight revenues	0	0
U.K./European Operations [Member] | Pulp & Paper [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Freight revenues	0	0
U.K./European Operations [Member] | Waste [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Freight revenues	0	0
U.K./European Operations [Member] | Other Commodity [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Freight revenues	$ 0	$ 0