Employee Retirement Plans (Details Textual) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Actual employer contributions to defined benefit plans	$ 4.1	$ 6.7	$ 11.7	$ 14.8
Expected full year contributions by the employer to defined benefit plans			15.0
Expected full year contributions by the employer to the multiemployer plan			$ 0.8

Multiemployer Plan, Expected Contributions in Current Fiscal Year

No definition available.

Name:	trn_MultiemployerPlanExpectedContributionsinCurrentFiscalYear
Namespace Prefix:	trn_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The increase in the fair value of plan assets from contributions made by the employer.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 715

-SubTopic 20

-Section 50

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (b)(3)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35743120&loc=d3e1928-114920

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanContributionsByEmployer
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanDisclosureLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of the employer's best estimate of contributions expected to be paid to the plan in the current fiscal period.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 715

-SubTopic 20

-Section 50

-Paragraph 6

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35743120&loc=d3e2709-114920

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanExpectedContributionsInCurrentFiscalYear
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration