Acquisitions - General Electric Transportation (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands		6 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Feb. 25, 2019	Jun. 30, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	May 06, 2019	May 05, 2019	Apr. 30, 2019	Feb. 22, 2019
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Common stock, shares outstanding (in shares)		188,183,106	96,614,946
Preferred stock, shares outstanding (in shares)		0	0
Common stock, shares issued (in shares)		223,431,716
Preferred stock, shares issued (in shares)		1,220	0
Series A Preferred Stock
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Preferred stock, shares outstanding (in shares)				1,220
Common Stock
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Preferred stock, shares outstanding (in shares)				3,515,500
General Electric Company
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Percentage of outstanding shares transferred				11.70%	24.90%
GE Transportation
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Consideration transferred	$ 2,875,000
Business combination, consideration transferred	10,300,000
Total future consideration	470,000
Closing share price (in USD per share)							$ 73.36
Revenues		$ 1,617,100
Operating income		88,200
Acquisition related costs		$ 55,300
GE Transportation | SpinCo Class B Preferred Stock
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Total future consideration	$ 10,000
GE Transportation | Convertible Preferred Stock
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Shares issuable (in shares)	10,000
GE Transportation | GE and Pre-Merger Holders
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Percentage of outstanding shares transferred			49.20%
GE Transportation | General Electric Company
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Percentage of outstanding shares transferred	9.90%		9.90%
GE Transportation | General Electric Company | Convertible Preferred Stock
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Percentage of outstanding shares transferred			15.00%
GET Brazil
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Noncontrolling interest acquired						$ 56,200
General Electric Company
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Noncontrolling interest acquired	$ 86,765
Wabtec | GE Transportation | SpinCo Class B Preferred Stock
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Preferred stock, shares outstanding (in shares)			10,000
Pre-merger Wabtec Stockholders | GE Transportation
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Percentage of outstanding shares transferred			50.80%
General Electric Company
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Common stock, shares issued (in shares)			19,018,207
Preferred stock, shares issued (in shares)			10,000
Total future consideration			$ 2,885,000
General Electric Company | General Electric Company
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Common stock, shares issued (in shares)			46,763,975
General Electric Company | GE Transportation | SpinCo Common Stock
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Common stock, shares outstanding (in shares)	8,700,000,000
General Electric Company | GE Transportation | SpinCo Class A Preferred Stock
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Preferred stock, shares outstanding (in shares)	15,000		15,000
General Electric Company | GE Transportation | SpinCo Class B Preferred Stock
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Preferred stock, shares outstanding (in shares)	10,000
General Electric Company | GE Transportation | Series A Preferred Stock
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Preferred stock, shares outstanding (in shares)				8,780
General Electric Company | GE Transportation | Common Stock
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Preferred stock, shares outstanding (in shares)				25,300,000
Minimum | General Electric Company | General Electric Company
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Percentage of outstanding shares transferred				14.90%
Minimum | General Electric Company | GE Transportation
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Percentage of common shares outstanding			14.90%
Maximum | Pre-merger Wabtec Stockholders | GE Transportation
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Percentage of common shares outstanding			18.50%
Maximum | General Electric Company | GE Transportation
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Percentage of common shares outstanding			19.90%