Amtrak's Long-Distance Train Performance
August 2018
For the month of August 2018, the Bull Sheet has calculated that 21 percent of Amtrak's named long-distance trains arrived at their final destination on time or earlier. [In the same month last year it was 26 percent.]
The average arrival of all long-distance trains in the survey period was one hour and 26 minutes late. [In the same month last year it was one hour and 2 minutes late.]
The average arrival of the 79 percent of trains that were behind schedule was one hour and 50 minutes late. [In the same month last year it was one hour and 24 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 with ambiguous or unreliable data are typically excluded from the analysis.
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 in August 2018 was as follows:
Train
Pct on-time arrival
Overall avg arrival
Avg arrival if late
Auto Train 69 %
34 mins late
1 hour, 50 mins late
California Zephyr 24 %
1 hour, 22 mins late
1 hour, 48 mins late
Capitol Limited 3 %
1 hour, 49 mins late
1 hour, 52 mins late
Cardinal 22 %
49 mins late
1 hour, 2 mins late
Carolinian 10 %
1 hour, 15 mins late
1 hour, 23 mins late
City of New Orleans 87 %
7 mins late
54 mins late
Coast Starlight 38 %
1 hour, 11 mins late
1 hour, 54 mins late
Crescent 2 %
2 hours, 50 min late
2 hours, 53 mins late
Empire Builder 1 %
3 hours, 44 mins late
3 hours, 47 min late
Lake Shore Limited 3 %
1 hour, 57 mins late
2 hours, 1 min late
Maple Leaf 31 %
20 mins late
29 mins late
Palmetto 6 %
53 mins late
57 mins late
Silver Meteor 18 %
58 mins late
1 hour, 11 mins late
Silver Star 8 %
1 hour, 41 mins late
1 hour, 49 mins late
Southwest Chief 16 %
1 hour, 28 mins late
1 hour, 45 mins late
Sunset Limited 19 %
1 hour, 30 mins late
1 hour, 51 mins late
Texas Eagle 8 %
1 hour, 59 mins late
2 hours, 10 mins late
Vermonter 20 %
24 mins late
30 mins late
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Monthly performance in 2018
Monthly performance
Pct on-time arrival
Overall avg arrival
Avg arrival if late
January 2018 35 %
1 hour, 5 mins late
1 hour, 41 mins late
February 2018 37 %
55 mins late
1 hour, 27 mins late
March 2018 39 %
57 mins late
1 hour, 32 mins late
April 2018 37 %
47 mins late
1 hour, 15 mins late
May 2018 26 %
1 hour, 7 mins late
1 hour, 30 mins late
June 2018 19 %
1 hour, 27 mins late
1 hour, 47 mins late
July 2018 20 %
1 hour, 33 mins late
1 hour, 56 mins late
August 2018 21 %
1 hour, 26 mins late
1 hour, 50 mins late