The Cardinal is a product of Robert Byrd and Harley Staggers, two of the most powerful senators our nation has ever seen. They were adamant that Amtrak serve West Virginia, a nice state, but not a state for Amtrak. Ergo, you get a train from the nearest metro area - NYC - through WV - to wherever it can be most conveniently pointed afterward, which evidently is Chicago.
The train is a total waste of space. It's too bad someone like Rocky Mountaineer doesn't operate a scenic day train from suburban Washington (like Lorton) to the WV mountains and back, maybe with an overnight at somewhere scenic like the Greenbrier.
The new Acela: It's not Aveliable.