Outside of commuters into NYC, what’s gained by taking a train? Is it faster? No. Is it cheaper? No. Is it easier? No. Is it more comfortable? No.
Address these problems and ridership will increase. In the glory days of US passenger trains, the trains were beautiful, there was a sense of style, inside and out. Now, they’re quite obviously government issue, a whole lot of gray. Nothing memorable about them, they’re slightly faster subway cars with upholstery, or a Grayhound bus on rails.
As I posted, a limited stop, private train would be a good idea in TN from Memphis to Knox/Chatt. It would be fun to do a weekend without driving and hit the sights.
You can take a train from Memphis to NOLA for around $40.