Amtrak's Long-Distance Train Performance
April 2018
For the month of April 2018, the Bull Sheet has calculated that 37 percent of Amtrak's named long-distance trains arrived at their final destination on time or earlier. (This is an improvement from the same month last year, when the on time percentage was 31 percent.)
The average arrival of all long-distance trains in the survey period was 47 minutes late. (Last year it was 52 minutes late.)
The average arrival of the 63 percent of trains that were behind schedule was one hour and 15 minutes late. (Average arrival last year was one hour and 16 minutes late.)
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, referred by Amtrak as 'service disrupted,' or provided unreliable data are typically excluded.
This survey was compiled by the Bull Sheet's statistical department comprehending actual performance as reported for each affected train on Amtrak's website. Data only apply to arrival at final destination; average arrivals at intermediate stations may differ.
Individual train performance over the course of April 2018 was as follows:
Train
Pct on-time arrival
Overall avg arrival
Avg arrival if late
Auto Train 57 %
44 mins late
1 hour, 41 mins late
California Zephyr 63 %
41 mins late
1 hour, 50 min late
Capitol Limited 18 %
44 mins late
54 mins late
Cardinal 58 %
1 hour, 2 mins late
2 hours, 26 mins late
Carolinian 14 %
1 hour, 2 mins late
1 hour, 12 mins late
City of New Orleans 47 %
21 mins late
40 mins late
Coast Starlight 75 %
6 mins late
24 mins late
Crescent 2 %
2 hours, 38 mins late
2 hours, 41 mins late
Empire Builder 58 %
37 mins late
1 hour, 28 mins late
Lake Shore Limited 17 %
47 mins late
56 mins late
Maple Leaf 40 %
15 mins late
25 mins late
Palmetto 21 %
42 mins late
53 mins late
Silver Meteor 42 %
43 mins late
1 hour, 14 mins late
Silver Star 15 %
1 hour, 5 mins late
1 hour, 17 mins late
Southwest Chief 50 %
28 mins late
56 mins late
Sunset Limited 52 %
54 mins late
1 hour, 53 mins late
Texas Eagle 35 %
1 hour, 7 mins late
1 hour, 43 mins late
Vermonter 34 %
17 mins late
26 mins late
Daily Recap, April 2018 . . . . .
Date
Pct on-time arrival
Overall avg arrival
Avg arrival if late
Sunday, April 1 65 %
44 mins late
2 hours, 5 mins late
Monday, April 2 42 %
20 mins late
34 mins late
Tuesday, April 3 38 %
40 mins late
1 hour, 6 mins late
Wednesday, April 4 23 %
1 hour, 10 mins late
1 hour, 30 mins late
Thursday, April 5 34 %
52 mins late
1 hour, 19 mins late
Friday, April 6 32 %
59 mins late
1 hour, 28 mins late
Saturday, April 7 34 %
1 hour, 13 mins late
1 hour, 52 mins late
Sunday, April 8 29 %
1 hour, 16 mins late
1 hour, 48 mins late
Monday, April 9 36 %
1 hour, 8 mins late
1 hour, 47 mins late
Tuesday, April 10 43 %
41 mins late
1 hour, 11 mins late
Wednesday, April 11 50 %
31 mins late
1 hour, 2 mins late
Thursday, April 12 31 %
41 mins late
1 hour late
Friday, April 13 31 %
51 mins late
1 hour, 15 mins late
Saturday, April 14 30 %
1 hour, 17 mins late
1 hour, 50 mins late
Sunday, April 15 45 %
36 mins late
1 hour, 5 mins late
Monday, April 16 29 %
1 hour, 29 mins late
2 hours, 7 mins late
Tuesday, April 17 32 %
40 mins late
59 mins late
Wednesday, April 18 22 %
55 mins late
1 hour, 11 mins late
Thursday, April 19 31 %
57 mins late
1 hour, 24 mins late
Friday, April 20 22 %
1 hour late
1 hour, 18 mins late
Saturday, April 21 43 %
44 mins late
1 hour, 18 mins late
Sunday, April 22 52 %
26 mins late
53 mins late
Monday, April 23 44 %
35 mins late
1 hour, 2 mins late
Tuesday, April 24 29 %
58 mins late
1 hour, 21 mins late
Wednesday, April 25 39 %
30 mins late
48 mins late
Thursday, April 26 29 %
44 mins late
1 hour, 1 min late
Friday, April 27 33 %
35 mins late
52 mins late
Saturday, April 28 44 %
25 mins late
45 mins late
Sunday, April 29 47 %
24 mins late
45 mins late
Monday, April 30 56 %
11 mins late
25 mins late
. .
.
.
Composite for April 2018 37 %
47 mins late
1 hour, 15 mins late
April Comparison - 2017 and 2016:
April 2017 31 %
52 mins late
1 hour, 16 mins late
April 2016 44 %
36 mins late
1 hour, 4 mins late