Commitments and Contingencies	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2017
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Commitments and Contingencies	Commitments and Contingencies The Company is subject to comprehensive federal, state, local and international environmental laws and regulations relating to the release or discharge of materials into the environment, the management, use, processing, handling, storage, transport or disposal of hazardous materials and wastes, and other laws and regulations relating to the protection of human health and the environment. These laws and regulations not only expose ARI to liability for the environmental condition of its current or formerly owned or operated facilities, and its own negligent acts, but also may expose ARI to liability for the conduct of others or for ARI’s actions that were in compliance with all applicable laws at the time such actions were taken. In addition, these laws may require significant expenditures to achieve compliance and are frequently modified or revised to impose new obligations. Civil and criminal fines and penalties and other sanctions may be imposed for non-compliance with these environmental laws and regulations. ARI’s operations that involve hazardous materials also raise potential risks of liability under common law. Certain real property ARI acquired from ACF in 1994 had been involved in investigation and remediation activities to address contamination both before and after their transfer to ARI. ACF is an affiliate of Mr. Carl Icahn, the Company’s principal beneficial stockholder through IELP. Substantially all of the issues identified with respect to these properties relate to the use of these properties prior to their transfer to ARI by ACF and for which ACF has retained liability for environmental contamination that may have existed at the time of transfer to ARI. ACF has also agreed to indemnify ARI for any cost that might be incurred with those existing issues. As of the date of this report, ARI does not believe it will incur material costs in connection with activities relating to these properties, but it cannot assure that this will be the case. If ACF fails to honor its obligations to ARI, ARI could be responsible for the cost of any additional investigation or remediation that may be required. The Company believes that its operations and facilities are in substantial compliance with applicable laws and regulations and that any noncompliance is not likely to have a material adverse effect on its financial condition or results of operations. ARI is a party to collective bargaining agreements with labor unions at two repair facilities that will expire in January and September 2021, respectively, unless extended or modified. ARI is also party to a collective bargaining agreement with a labor union at a steel component manufacturing facility that will expire in April 2022, unless extended or modified. The Company has various agreements with and commitments to related parties. See Note 14, Related Party Transactions, for further detail. Certain claims, suits and complaints arising in the ordinary course of business, as well as the GyanSys, Inc. (GyanSys) litigation discussed below, have been filed or are pending against ARI. In the opinion of management, based on information currently available, all such claims, suits, and complaints are without merit or would not have a significant effect on the future liquidity, results of operations or financial position of ARI if disposed of unfavorably. However, resolution of certain claims or suits by settlement or otherwise, could impact the operating results of the reporting period in which such resolution occurs. GyanSys On October 24, 2014, the Company filed a complaint in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York against GyanSys. The complaint asserts a claim against GyanSys for breaching its contract with ARI to implement an enterprise resource planning system. The Company alleges that it has suffered damages in excess of $20 million as a result of GyanSys' breach. GyanSys filed a response to the suit denying its responsibility. It also alleged a counterclaim against ARI for breach of contract and wrongful termination, seeking equitable relief and damages, which GyanSys alleges to be more than $7 million. The trial was completed in August 2017, and a decision is expected during the fourth quarter of 2017. ARI continues to believe that GyanSys' counterclaims lack merit. However, at this time, the Company does not have sufficient information to reasonably form an estimate of the potential outcome (gain or loss) of this litigation. As a result, no such accrual has been recorded. FRA Directive On September 30, 2016, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) issued Railworthiness Directive (RWD) No. 2016-01 (the Original Directive). The Original Directive addressed, among other things, certain welding practices in one weld area in specified DOT 111 tank railcars manufactured between 2009 and 2015 by ARI and ACF. ACF is an affiliate of Mr. Carl Icahn, the Company's principal beneficial stockholder through IELP. The Company met and corresponded with the FRA following the issuance of the Original Directive to express the Company's concerns with the Original Directive and its impact on ARI, as well as the industry as a whole. On November 18, 2016 (the Issuance Date), the FRA issued RWD No. 2016-01 [Revised] (the Revised Directive). The Revised Directive changed and superseded the Original Directive in several ways. The Revised Directive requires owners to identify their subject tank railcars and then from that population identify the 15% of subject tank railcars currently in hazardous materials service with the highest mileage in each tank car owner’s fleet. Visual inspection of each of the subject tank railcars is required by the car operator prior to putting any railcar into service. Owners must ensure appropriate inspection, testing and repairs, if needed, within twelve months of the Issuance Date for the 15% of their subject tank railcars identified to be in hazardous materials service with the highest mileage. The FRA reserved the right to impose additional test and inspection requirements for the remaining tank railcars subject to the Revised Directive. Although the Revised Directive addressed some of the Company’s concerns and clarified certain requirements of the Original Directive, ARI identified significant issues with the Revised Directive. As a result, in December 2016, ARI sought judicial review of and relief from the Revised Directive by filing a petition for review against the FRA in the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. On August 17, 2017, the Company entered into a settlement agreement with the FRA, which covered the subject railcars owned by ARI and certain of its affiliates. This settlement agreement, among other things, extends the deadline for ARI to complete the inspection, testing and repairs, if needed, for the 15% identified railcars to December 31, 2017. Adding clarity regarding certain unknown requirements referenced in the Revised Directive, under the settlement agreement, ARI is required to inspect, test, and if necessary repair the remaining 85% subject tank railcars at the next tank railcar qualification, scheduled routine or regular maintenance, shopping or repair event, but no later than December, 31, 2025. However, the agreement permits ARI to: (i) if the FRA does not impose a similar requirement by July 31, 2018 on other owners’ railcars subject to the Revised Directive, suspend compliance with this requirement until such time as the FRA imposes requirements on all 85% railcars subject to the Revised Directive, and (ii) elect to be governed by any different requirements later imposed by the FRA on other owners’ railcars subject to the Revised Directive. In addition, the settlement agreement also provides that railcars owned by ARI are no longer required to have a surface inspection performed when the railcars are being inspected pursuant to the Revised Directive. Finally, as part of the settlement agreement, ARI dismissed its lawsuit against the FRA. ARI has evaluated its potential exposure related to the Revised Directive and has a loss contingency reserve remaining of $9.3 million to cover its probable and estimable liabilities, as of September 30, 2017, with respect to the Company's response to the Revised Directive. This loss contingency amount takes into account information available as of September 30, 2017 and ARI's contractual obligations in its capacity as both a manufacturer and owner of railcars subject to the Revised Directive. This amount is included in accrued expenses and other liabilities on the consolidated balance sheet. This amount will continue to be evaluated as the Company’s and its customers’ compliance with the Revised Directive and the settlement agreement progresses. Actual results could differ from this estimate. It is reasonably possible that a loss exists in excess of the amount accrued by the Company. However, the amount of potential costs and expenses expected to be incurred for compliance with the Revised Directive in excess of the loss contingency reserve of $9.3 million cannot be reasonably estimated at this time. Legal fees incurred with respect to this matter are expensed in the period in which they occur, in accordance with ARI's accounting policy.

Commitments and Contingencies

The Company is subject to comprehensive federal, state, local and international environmental laws and regulations relating to the release or discharge of materials into the environment, the management, use, processing, handling, storage, transport or disposal of hazardous materials and wastes, and other laws and regulations relating to the protection of human health and the environment. These laws and regulations not only expose ARI to liability for the environmental condition of its current or formerly owned or operated facilities, and its own negligent acts, but also may expose ARI to liability for the conduct of others or for ARI’s actions that were in compliance with all applicable laws at the time such actions were taken. In addition, these laws may require significant expenditures to achieve compliance and are frequently modified or revised to impose new obligations. Civil and criminal fines and penalties and other sanctions may be imposed for non-compliance with these environmental laws and regulations. ARI’s operations that involve hazardous materials also raise potential risks of liability under common law.

Certain real property ARI acquired from ACF in 1994 had been involved in investigation and remediation activities to address contamination both before and after their transfer to ARI. ACF is an affiliate of Mr. Carl Icahn, the Company’s principal beneficial stockholder through IELP. Substantially all of the issues identified with respect to these properties relate to the use of these properties prior to their transfer to ARI by ACF and for which ACF has retained liability for environmental contamination that may have existed at the time of transfer to ARI. ACF has also agreed to indemnify ARI for any cost that might be incurred with those existing issues. As of the date of this report, ARI does not believe it will incur material costs in connection with activities relating to these properties, but it cannot assure that this will be the case. If ACF fails to honor its obligations to ARI, ARI could be responsible for the cost of any additional investigation or remediation that may be required. The Company believes that its operations and facilities are in substantial compliance with applicable laws and regulations and that any noncompliance is not likely to have a material adverse effect on its financial condition or results of operations.

ARI is a party to collective bargaining agreements with labor unions at two repair facilities that will expire in January and September 2021, respectively, unless extended or modified. ARI is also party to a collective bargaining agreement with a labor union at a steel component manufacturing facility that will expire in April 2022, unless extended or modified.

The Company has various agreements with and commitments to related parties. See Note 14, Related Party Transactions, for further detail.

Certain claims, suits and complaints arising in the ordinary course of business, as well as the GyanSys, Inc. (GyanSys) litigation discussed below, have been filed or are pending against ARI. In the opinion of management, based on information currently available, all such claims, suits, and complaints are without merit or would not have a significant effect on the future liquidity, results of operations or financial position of ARI if disposed of unfavorably. However, resolution of certain claims or suits by settlement or otherwise, could impact the operating results of the reporting period in which such resolution occurs.

GyanSys

On October 24, 2014, the Company filed a complaint in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York against GyanSys. The complaint asserts a claim against GyanSys for breaching its contract with ARI to implement an enterprise resource planning system. The Company alleges that it has suffered damages in excess of $20 million as a result of GyanSys' breach. GyanSys filed a response to the suit denying its responsibility. It also alleged a counterclaim against ARI for breach of contract and wrongful termination, seeking equitable relief and damages, which GyanSys alleges to be more than $7 million. The trial was completed in August 2017, and a decision is expected during the fourth quarter of 2017. ARI continues to believe that GyanSys' counterclaims lack merit. However, at this time, the Company does not have sufficient information to reasonably form an estimate of the potential outcome (gain or loss) of this litigation. As a result, no such accrual has been recorded.

FRA Directive

On September 30, 2016, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) issued Railworthiness Directive (RWD) No. 2016-01 (the Original Directive). The Original Directive addressed, among other things, certain welding practices in one weld area in specified DOT 111 tank railcars manufactured between 2009 and 2015 by ARI and ACF. ACF is an affiliate of Mr. Carl Icahn, the Company's principal beneficial stockholder through IELP. The Company met and corresponded with the FRA following the issuance of the Original Directive to express the Company's concerns with the Original Directive and its impact on ARI, as well as the industry as a whole.

On November 18, 2016 (the Issuance Date), the FRA issued RWD No. 2016-01 [Revised] (the Revised Directive). The Revised Directive changed and superseded the Original Directive in several ways.

The Revised Directive requires owners to identify their subject tank railcars and then from that population identify the 15% of subject tank railcars currently in hazardous materials service with the highest mileage in each tank car owner’s fleet. Visual inspection of each of the subject tank railcars is required by the car operator prior to putting any railcar into service. Owners must ensure appropriate inspection, testing and repairs, if needed, within twelve months of the Issuance Date for the 15% of their subject tank railcars identified to be in hazardous materials service with the highest mileage. The FRA reserved the right to impose additional test and inspection requirements for the remaining tank railcars subject to the Revised Directive.

Although the Revised Directive addressed some of the Company’s concerns and clarified certain requirements of the Original Directive, ARI identified significant issues with the Revised Directive. As a result, in December 2016, ARI sought judicial review of and relief from the Revised Directive by filing a petition for review against the FRA in the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

On August 17, 2017, the Company entered into a settlement agreement with the FRA, which covered the subject railcars owned by ARI and certain of its affiliates. This settlement agreement, among other things, extends the deadline for ARI to complete the inspection, testing and repairs, if needed, for the 15% identified railcars to December 31, 2017. Adding clarity regarding certain unknown requirements referenced in the Revised Directive, under the settlement agreement, ARI is required to inspect, test, and if necessary repair the remaining 85% subject tank railcars at the next tank railcar qualification, scheduled routine or regular maintenance, shopping or repair event, but no later than December, 31, 2025. However, the agreement permits ARI to: (i) if the FRA does not impose a similar requirement by July 31, 2018 on other owners’ railcars subject to the Revised Directive, suspend compliance with this requirement until such time as the FRA imposes requirements on all 85% railcars subject to the Revised Directive, and (ii) elect to be governed by any different requirements later imposed by the FRA on other owners’ railcars subject to the Revised Directive. In addition, the settlement agreement also provides that railcars owned by ARI are no longer required to have a surface inspection performed when the railcars are being inspected pursuant to the Revised Directive. Finally, as part of the settlement agreement, ARI dismissed its lawsuit against the FRA.

ARI has evaluated its potential exposure related to the Revised Directive and has a loss contingency reserve remaining of $9.3 million to cover its probable and estimable liabilities, as of September 30, 2017, with respect to the Company's response to the Revised Directive. This loss contingency amount takes into account information available as of September 30, 2017 and ARI's contractual obligations in its capacity as both a manufacturer and owner of railcars subject to the Revised Directive. This amount is included in accrued expenses and other liabilities on the consolidated balance sheet. This amount will continue to be evaluated as the Company’s and its customers’ compliance with the Revised Directive and the settlement agreement progresses. Actual results could differ from this estimate.

It is reasonably possible that a loss exists in excess of the amount accrued by the Company. However, the amount of potential costs and expenses expected to be incurred for compliance with the Revised Directive in excess of the loss contingency reserve of $9.3 million cannot be reasonably estimated at this time.

Legal fees incurred with respect to this matter are expensed in the period in which they occur, in accordance with ARI's accounting policy.