Once again the comparison ignores the time associated with owning and maintaining a car. Next time you’re standing on line at the DMV, ask yourself “Self, would I rather be sitting in a comfy seat on a train looking out at the Pacific coastline?”
amtrak isn't exactly cheap. I choose it over car/plane whenever it's practical, but I consider that more of a luxury than anything. a single DC<->NYC roundtrip is already more than my monthly car insurance.
This is not a problem inherent to rail systems or travel. This is a symptom of the poor state of the US rail system.