We have made it to St Paul. Here, not so scenic. Out West it was very scenic.
For coach, the Greyhound comparison is accurate. A lot of people hop on and ride 3- 5 stops. There are a few going through, but not most.
The seats look like they should offer comfort, the cake is a lie. Sleeping in them is tough if you don't bring a pillow. If you have a row to yourself, curling up in the two seats seems very doable, some were doing that.
But the trains are very full, so no guarantees of getting a seat to oneself. Out west, cell signal was hard to find.
I would do it again, but either with a pillow and blanket or better, a sleeper car.
11 hours to cross Montana. Wow, a huge state. The locals in Kalispell/Whitefish were talking about how fast it is growing. A lot of work from home people from Seattle have moved to Montana.
Passenger rail, by law, has the right-of-way over freight. The tracks are owned by freight companies. Guess who actually gets the right of way?