Think of the business traveler. People take the train for hours to get to NYC to work everyday. Way cheaper than ownong a car and way more convenient. I understand that example doesn't exactly translate but im sticking with it. It is also considered "green" so businesses can probably get some kind of write off if they buy tickets for their employees and in turn boosts ESG numbers

The reason there isn't more high speed rail in the US is because everything is so spread out when compared to other countires & cars grant people the freedom to go anywhere they want. Each train route has to carry enough people every day to justify its existence & it can get you only where the track goes. And adding new stops to potentially satisfy more people slows the trip.

Just carrying industrial freight by train makes a lot more economic sense because rail is good for transporting heavy things that are difficult to transport other ways. And freight routes can connect ocean ports to industrial centers and/or ground shipping hubs.

If connecting 2 cities is wildly profitable, maybe they will connect another, but it's basically like having a bus system that can't be rerouted to changing demand. Idk why people have such a hard on for transportation they have to share with a bunch of other people. I like using my own vehicles to get places I want to go.