And that is why Amtrak is the most unreliable form of passenger transportation in the US, west of the Appalachians. I was once delayed 24 hours from Denver to Chicago. That wasn't even waiting in a station for the train to arrive. It was twenty-four hours, stuck on a siding in the middle of nowhere, staring at the agriculture, as train after train of freight passed us by.
Never again. If you travel on land, and can't drive yourself, take a bus. If you want luxury accommodations, buy two seats.
In some cases, Amtrak (along with the states) runs their own passenger trains, like Amtrak California. The Capitol Corridor in California, and the Cascades in the Northwest are decent, if agonizingly slow. Though you'd literally have to pay me (a railfan) money to take the longer, overnight trains like the Coast Starlight (like the cost of a private room and bath).
Never again. If you travel on land, and can't drive yourself, take a bus. If you want luxury accommodations, buy two seats.