Amtrak's Long-Distance Train Performance
April 2016
For the month of April 2016, the Bull Sheet has calculated that 44 percent of Amtrak's named long-distance trains arrived at their final destination on time or earlier.
The average arrival of all long-distance trains in the survey period was 36 minutes late.
The average arrival of only those trains that arrived behind schedule was one hour and four minutes late.
A train is considered late whenever it arrives at its final destination behind schedule, even if only by one minute. Sufficient padding is incorporated into long-distance train schedules to eliminate the need for grace allowances in showing a train arriving on time when it is actually nominally late.
Trains arriving ahead of schedule are shown 'on time,' with no extra credit given to offset late arrivals in other instances.
Survey was compiled by the Bull Sheet's statistical department comprehending actual performance as reported for each affected train on Amtrak's website.
Individual train performance over the course of the month of April 2016 was as follows:
Train
Pct on-time arrival
Overall avg arrival
Avg arrival if late
Auto Train 22 %
1 hour, 10 mins late
1 hour, 29 mins late
California Zephyr 50 %
32 mins late
1 hour, 4 mins late
Capitol Limited 48 %
28 mins late
54 mins late
Cardinal 36 %
43 mins late
1 hour, 7 mins late
Carolinian 14 %
45 mins late
52 mins late
City of New Orleans 92 %
4 mins late
45 mins late
Coast Starlight 75 %
17 mins late
1 hour, 8 mins late
Crescent 28 %
42 mins late
58 mins late
Empire Builder 90 %
4 mins late
35 mins late
Lake Shore Limited 21 %
27 mins late
35 mins late
Maple Leaf 62 %
10 mins late
28 mins late
Palmetto 17 %
56 mins late
1 hour, 8 mins late
Silver Meteor 18 %
55 mins late
1 hour, 7 mins late
Silver Star 22 %
1 hour, 27 mins late
1 hour, 51 mins late
Southwest Chief 55 %
38 mins late
1 hour, 26 mins late
Sunset Limited 52 %
43 mins late
1 hour, 30 mins late
Texas Eagle 49 %
46 mins late
1 hour, 30 mins late
Vermonter 24 %
26 mins late
35 mins late