If passenger rail could be done profitably in this country some company would be out there doing it.
The very fact that Amtrak has a monopoly on it, is heavily subsidized and runs constantly at a loss tells you that it cannot be done profitably. Too few people would be wiling to pay the ticket price.
To my knowledge Amtrak is not even making money in the Boston-NY-Washington corridor where there is substantial demand.
Public transportation - because nobody wants to die alone.
The only reason people take the Boston to NYC trains is because the cab ride in from the airport is $40 and 45 minutes. The Amtrack drops you off at Penn station 34th Street and 7th/8th Avenue right under Madison Square Garden in midtown Manhattan. That is the only reason I ever took it.
Also, it cost $45/day or more to park a car in NYC. It adds up if you are going to be there for a few days.