Amtrak's Long-Distance Train Performance
Full Year 2016
For the year 2016, the Bull Sheet has calculated that 40 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 45 minutes late.
The average arrival of the 60 percent of trains that were behind schedule was one hour and 14 minutes late.
The train with the best on-time percentage was the Empire Builder (with 70 percent), and the train with the worst on-time percentage was the Palmetto (with 17 percent). Still, from a statistical standpoint, the Empire Builder had the latest arrival of trains that arrived at their final destination behind schedule (one hour and 45 minutes late). Meanwhile, the Vermonter's average arrival of its trains that were behind schedule (32 minutes late) bested all other trains within the survey during the year, yet the Vermonter only had a 21 percent on-time arrival percentage.
A train is considered late whenever it arrives at its final destination behind schedule, even if only by a 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 other arrivals that are late. Trains that are canceled, truncated or presented by Amtrak as being 'service disrupted' are typically excluded from the data.
This 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 2016 was as follows:
Train
Pct on-time arrival
Overall avg arrival
Avg arrival if late
Auto Train 39 %
1 hour, 2 mins late
1 hour, 41 mins late
California Zephyr 54 %
45 mins late
1 hour, 37 late
Capitol Limited 35 %
34 mins late
53 mins late
Cardinal 38 %
55 mins late
1 hour, 28 mins late
Carolinian 22 %
47 mins late
1 hour late
City of New Orleans 58 %
25 mins late
1 hour late
Coast Starlight 62 %
34 mins late
1 hour, 29 mins late
Crescent 32 %
46 mins late
1 hour, 7 mins late
Empire Builder 70 %
32 mins late
1 hour, 45 mins late
Lake Shore Limited 23 %
55 mins late
1 hour, 11 mins late
Maple Leaf 42 %
24 mins late
42 mins late
Palmetto 17 %
49 mins late
59 mins late
Silver Meteor 25 %
1 hour, 6 mins late
1 hour, 28 mins late
Silver Star 21 %
1 hour, 11 mins late
1 hour, 29 mins late
Southwest Chief 55 %
43 mins late
1 hour, 37 mins late
Sunset Limited 60 %
36 mins late
1 hour, 32 mins late
Texas Eagle 40 %
56 mins late
1 hour, 32 mins late
Vermonter 21 %
25 mins late
32 mins late
RECAP - the year 2016 . . . . .
Recap 12 months
Pct on-time arrival
Overall avg arrival
Avg arrival if late
JANUARY 2016 55 %
31 mins late
1 hour, 8 mins late
FEBRUARY 2016 50 %
34 mins late
1 hour, 7 mins late
MARCH 2016 44 %
40 mins late
1 hour, 12 mins late
APRIL 2016 44 %
36 mins late
1 hour, 4 mins late
MAY 2016 41 %
38 mins late
1 hour, 6 mins late
JUNE 2016 29 %
1 hour, 2 mins late
1 hour, 26 mins late
JULY 2016 30 %
59 mins late
1 hour, 24 mins late
AUGUST 2016 33 %
48 mins late
1 hour, 12 mins late
SEPTEMBER 2016 38 %
41 mins late
1 hour, 6 mins late
OCTOBER 2016 38 %
44 mins late
1 hour, 12 mins late
NOVEMBER 2016 38 %
46 mins late
1 hour, 14 mins late
DECEMBER 2016 35 %
54 mins late
1 hour, 23 mins late