The SBB is indeed amazing. Trains are in pristine condition, second class is first class or business class by most other countries standards, the toilets are clean and functional aboard any train I’ve ever taken with stocked water soap and paper (hello sncf, no water or soap or light even during the epidemics), the trains are ON TIME (like to the minute on time), they’re incredibly quiet, all long distance trains have internet, you get service to your seat (in first, and before the virus), the fare system is integrated between all trains and any city’s bus/streetcar (meaning you can buy one ticket for them all no matter which city you’re going from and to), and their phone application is also great. Not to mention the 165.- Halbtax card which gives you 50% off all trains and lower fares on every municipal transit system (and most mountain trains). Oh and I almost forgot the supersaver tickets which cost between 15 and 30% of a full fare if you buy up to a few days in advance for trains that are low occupancy (first class of often cheaper than second for that reason)
I don’t think the « US is bigger do costs more » holds. Switzerland is incredibly mountainous and train go through countless tunnels that require significant engineering and time to build (look up the Gothard tunnel, one of the longest tunnels in the world through a mountain to connect Italian Switzerland with German Switzerland).
Oh and Swiss trains go 120–200+ km/h on most of the network vs 90 tops (I think?) for US trains.
Not to mention additional perks like the FAIRTIQ app where you basically get on any form of public transport in Switzerland or Lichtenstein, slide a button on your phone when you get on the first transport of your journey, and again when you get off the last, and it will automatically charge you the most advantageous and cheapest fare it can find at the end of the day (and convert to a daily ticket if that’s better because you made several trips ins city you know nothing about the bus tickets)
SBB also offers services like picking up your luggage for you at home, putting them in your train for you, and delivering them to your destination. All you have to do is get on and off the train and not think about it.
Or the plan where you get unlimited train for a year (1st or 2nd class) and a Tesla in every city. As in drive a Tesla from home to the train station, leave the Tesla there, get on a train, pickup another Tesla at your destination, drive it around, and return it to the station when you’re done to go back home and pick the other one back up. It’s not cheap but it’s amazing when you think about it.
But any country that refuses to let the government coordinate the building and operating of the infrastructure (I.e. the network) won’t ever be able to get there. These projects are long term and cost a lot of money so it’s very hard for private companies with short term profitability horizons to make it happen.