Railway executive Matthew Rose stood before fellow industry leaders, pointing to a map meant to tell the future of the U.S. rail freight network. It was drenched in red — east to west, north to south.

Concerns have been raised that a freight-only line in the East Midlands could be “closed by stealth”. A stretch of the ...

Already, delays hamper the existing rail freight network. A lone train stopped in Chicago can force other trains to stop or slow as far away as Los Angeles or Baltimore. "It's a ripple effect," said ...