As the cost of fuel — especially diesel — rises, more companies are looking to move goods by rail.
But so far they’ve only added GPS tracking to less than 1% of the nation’s railcars.
One sign of erosion: The rail tracks that run along the beach south of San Clemente are in danger of sliding into the ocean.
What happens on the rails has ripple effects because freight trains are the economy’s bloodstream, circulating products across the U.S.
An executive order could spur government regulators to address patterns of consolidation and high pricing.
U.S. freight rail is profitable, and it's attracting international attention.
