I agree. Better rail service seems like an achievable goal, and being high-speed is not necessary to make it better. What's necessary is more than two trains per day, and more reliable trip times.

The cost is important too, of course, but I think people often neglect the expense of a car trip beyond the gas itself, such as wear and tear (not insignificant), parking costs at your destination, and so forth. Not to mention the intangible cost of being unable to do anything during the trip except for drive. Factoring in total cost can make rail economically competitive even when gas is cheap.