you are talking an occasional operation for a few special events. That's totally different from a commuter operation in the middle of nowhere. Don't kid yourself; Iowa City couldn't support daily service, either. And comparing either to San Francisco is a real stretch.

The notion some people have that commuter rail is the answer to every problem,(real, imagined or future) is why so many pro-rail folks are seen by planners as unrealistic crackpots. There is a time and place for everything.