Trains in Europe and probably elsewhere too, cannot compete on price as 1) fuel is taxed and they are paying emissions fees, which airlines don’t [a] 2) the operator is often obligated to run trains at times where there are very few passengers (I.e. hourly schedules on underused routes).

[a] http://www.airportwatch.org.uk/2019/05/te-found-the-eu-sat-o...