> Being on time for transportation that goes across the country is kind of expected, right?

You'd think so, but the trains are regularly arriving late. It's not like a single train will always bring you to your destination. You'll have to switch trains multiple times and when one of your trains is late, you won't make it in time for the next and will have to wait.

> No one is arguing a complete replacement of cars

You might not be, but I've had this discussion countless times with people advocating for banning cars. I'm not against public transport, I'm just saying it has unresolvable issues that prevent it from being as useful as a car.