Exactly. I live near SLC, and to get to SF would take:
~19 hours by train and cost $92 in coach
~11 hours by car - $60 in gas in my hybrid, $130 in my minivan
~2 hours by plane - <$50 by plane (Frontier)
And that’s a route with a direct train connection, so literally no transfers. So, a train takes way longer, is probably more expensive (esp. if I take family), and I’d probably need a rental car on the other end. And that’s for a “best case” scenario with direct train service.
Screw that, trains anywhere other than the east coast of the US makes pretty much no sense for transportation. As an experience, sure, but not to get from A to B.