It sounds like your city does not prioritize trains at all

train was PACKED and spent 10m at every stop

add more wagons or increase frequency for example

then they hit a car

intersections with car traffic are always a problem and they should be minimized

train was every 10. Some days every 30, some days 2 in a row

i can bet the tracks share the same space with regular roads and signaling does not prioritize public transit, which usually leads to this sort of inconsistent schedule

that didn’t make it any easier

that's usually the excuse used to cut funding to public transit instead of the other way around: "see it doesnt work, why waste money on it". They never mention how it's been underfunded for decades, how cars are always prioritized, and the success cases seen all around the world where it works properly

does the train increase commerce in an area?

stations are usually prime real state for commerce and housing due to all the foot traffic it brings. Just look at stations in Japan, they are basically big shopping malls, without all the unnecessary parking, and high towers all around for housing