Income Taxes (Details 3) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2017	Mar. 31, 2016
Summary of reasons for difference between GATX's effective income tax rate and federal statutory income tax
Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	$ 20.6	$ 30.8
Effective income tax rate	30.00%	33.00%

Percentage of current income tax expense (benefit) and deferred income tax expense (benefit) pertaining to continuing operations.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 740
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 13
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=65882285&loc=d3e32698-109319

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 235
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.4-08.(h)(2))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=26873400&loc=d3e23780-122690

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 740
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 12
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=65882285&loc=d3e32687-109319

Name:	us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateContinuingOperations
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration