That's just about the distance that I prefer to take Amtrak over driving or flying (mostly I travel SF <-> Fresno). I can get work done, unlike when driving, and I don't have to deal with all the pains of getting to the airport early and going through security.
Unsolicited advice: Not everyone is into sacrificing money to avoid bullshit security theater that has been going on for 17 years.
Trains have the beauty of being able to go to the station, hop on the train, hop off. No wait or lines. I've had great trips taking the subway to Union Station then a train to San Diego. If trains were more affordable, widespread, and faster, it'd probably help the US immensely.
It may sound a bit arrogant, but global entry is 100$/5yrs, and TSA-pre is 80$ for similar amount of time.
If you are well-off to be using air transportation, it would be worth it. Though, I might be agreeing with you on the utility of excessive security check. As a foreign national, I can tell you that US requires 4x the security checks in foreign airports in inbound flights to US.
I already have global entry / TSA precheck. My preference is still for Amtrak for certain journeys. Consider that flying SF to Fresno costs hundreds of dollars each way. Amtrak costs $30.
Trains generally drop you in the middle of a central business district. If you’re driving to a major city, you’re spending $30-75 a day in parking or driving to suburban motels.
If you need to be in Manhattan for more than 2 nights, the train is free vs a car given a 2 hour radius. That’s probably not the case for Minot, but it is for many places.
Also unlike planes it’s a no bullshit environment. No security theatre, no getting there an hour early. On some routes you can buy a ticket on the train.
In my case: my frequent travel by train is around 3 to 3.5 hours one-way, on routes that would be around 1h40m to 2 hours by car. Using a $0.30/mile figure for driving, the train is around the same price, or a bit cheaper, than driving myself, so long as I am using multi-ride tickets.
However, the train is a comfortable environment for me to do other things. I can read, write, and do quite a bit of research work; I can comfortably use my laptop and usually have a decent internet connection.
If I drive myself, I can do very little else but drive during the time; if I have someone else drive, I can do some things, but it can be quite difficult and rather nauseating, no matter how nice the car.
Thus, my choice is usually between a 3.5 hour trip where I can pretty much do much of what I'd be doing were I not traveling during that time, or a 2 hour trip that will actually hinder the better uses of my attention: the shorter duration trip ends up taking much more of my time.
