Based on Exhibits A and B, the best estimate of the average remaining useful life of the company’s plant and equipment at the end of 2009 is:

A. 20.75 years.

B. 24.25 years.

C. 30.00 years.

Melanie Hart, CFA, is a transportation analyst. Hart has been asked to write a research report on Altai Mountain Rail Company (AMRC). Like other companies in the railroad industry, AMRC’s operations are capital intensive, with significant investments in such long-lived tangible assets as property, plant, and equipment. In November of 2008, AMRC’s board of directors hired a new team to manage the company. In reviewing the company’s 2009 annual report, Hart is concerned about some of the accounting choices that the new management has made. These choices differ from those of the previous management and from common industry practice. Hart has highlighted the following statements from the company’s annual report:

Exhibits A and B contain AMRC’s 2009 consolidated income statement and balance sheet. AMRC prepares its financial statements in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards.

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Statement 1: Statement 2: Statement 3: Statement 4: "In 2009, AMRC spent significant amounts on track replacement and similar improvements. AMRC expensed rather than capitalized a significant proportion of these expenditures." "AMRC uses the straight-line method of depreciation for both financial and tax reporting purposes to account for plant and equipment." "In 2009, AMRC recognized an impairment loss of 50 million on a fleet of locomotives. The impairment loss was reported as other income' in the income statement and reduced the carrying amount of the assets on the balance sheet." "AMRC acquires the use of many of its assets, including a large portion of its fleet of rail cars, under long-term lease contracts. In 2009, AMRC acquired the use of equipment with a fair value of 200 million under 20-year lease contracts. These leases were classified as operating leases. Prior to 2009, most of these lease contracts were classified as finance leases."