I think the comparison being made is why restrict yourself to a rail line when you can buy a huge bus with a driver and private chef and have them drive you anywhere you want.

It really isn't about the destination. If it were, one would just fly. To me, the elegance of rail is in its ability to travel through more secluded areas, to do so quietly, and to afford a person enough space to kick back without the need for a seatbelt.

The view as well. It’s not a requirement of trains vs trucking but due to history train tracks go through many more scenic routes that are built or grown over, and aren’t 3-6 lane highways blasted through nature.

You also don’t stop and go as much. With a bus you stop at every stop light in every suburb you drive through and speed changes all the time. A train makes a few predictable very manageable stops.