Amtrak's Long-Distance Train Performance
January 2019
For the month of January 2019, the Bull Sheet has calculated that 43 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 35 percent.]
The average arrival of all long-distance trains in the survey period was 44 minutes late. [In the same month last year it was one hour and five mins late.]
The average arrival of the trains that were behind schedule was one hour and 18 minutes late. [In the same month last year it was one hour and 41 minutes late.]
The train with the best on-time performance in January 2019 was Auto Train (76 percent), and the train with the worst on-time performance was Crescent (0 percent).
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 late. Amtrak routinely reports trains arriving on time if they are nominally late, within certain guidelines, but the Bull Sheet survey conveys realistic parameters reflecting actual performance.
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, terminated en route, or provided with ambiguous or unreliable data are typically excluded from the survey.
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 arrival at intermediate stations may differ.
Daily average long-distance train performance in January 2019 was as follows:
Date
Pct on-time arrival
Overall avg arrival
Avg arrival if late
Tuesday, January 1 47 %
30 mins late
56 mins late
Wednesday, January 2 47 %
22 mins late
42 mins late
Thursday, January 3 40 %
49 mins late
1 hour, 22 mins late
Friday, January 4 32 %
55 mins late
1 hour, 21 mins late
Saturday, January 5 49 %
39 mins late
1 hour, 16 mins late
Sunday, January 6 61 %
34 mins late
1 hour, 26 mins late
Monday, January 7 59 %
23 mins late
56 mins late
Tuesday, January 8 61 %
18 mins late
46 mins late
Wednesday, January 9 50 %
36 mins late
1 hour, 12 mins late
Thursday, January 10 58 %
32 mins late
1 hour, 16 mins late
Friday, January 11 44 %
33 mins late
1 hour late
Saturday, January 12 57 %
22 mins late
51 mins late
Sunday, January 13 26 %
52 mins late
1 hour, 10 mins late
Monday, January 14 44 %
31 mins late
56 mins late
Tuesday, January 15 45 %
39 mins late
1 hour, 12 mins late
Wednesday, January 16 47 %
35 mins late
1 hour, 5 mins late
Thursday, January 17 47 %
20 mins late
37 mins late
Friday, January 18 54 %
47 mins late
1 hour, 43 mins late
Saturday, January 19 38 %
46 mins late
1 hour, 14 mins late
Sunday, January 20 36 %
1 hour 22 mins late
2 hours, 9 mins late
Monday, January 21 24 %
1 hour, 31 mins late
2 hours late
Tuesday, January 22 30 %
1 hour, 50 mins late
2 hours, 37 mins late
Wednesday, January 23 32 %
43 mins late
1 hour, 3 mins late
Thursday, January 24 45 %
30 mins late
54 mins late
Friday, January 25 39 %
46 mins late
1 hour, 15 mins late
Saturday, January 26 46 %
39 mins late
1 hour, 12 mins late
Sunday, January 27 49 %
28 mins late
55 mins late
Monday, January 28 34 %
55 mins late
1 hour, 23 mins late
Tuesday, January 29 31 %
50 mins late
1 hour, 13 mins late
Wednesday, January 30 21 %
1 hour, 21 mins late
1 hour, 43 mins late
Thursday, January 31 20 %
1 hour, 51 mins late
2 hours, 18 mins late
Composite for January 43 %
44 mins late
1 hour, 18 mins late
Month of January - Five Year Comparison
Month
Pct on-time arrival
Overall avg arrival
Avg arrival if late
January 2019 43 %
44 mins late
1 hour, 18 mins late
January 2018 35 %
1 hour, 5 mins late
1 hour, 41 mins late
January 2017 39 %
59 mins late
1 hour, 37 mins late
January 2016 55 %
31 mins late
1 hour, 8 mins late
January 2015 52 %
37 mins late
1 hour, 18 mins late
January 2019 Train-by-Train Performance
Train
Pct on-time arrival
Overall avg arrival
Avg arrival if late
Auto Train 76 %
16 mins late
1 hour, 7 mins late
California Zephyr 28 %
2 hours, 10 mins late
3 hours, 1 min late
Capitol Limited 21 %
1 hour, 10 mins late
1 hour, 29 mins late
Cardinal 62 %
7 mins late
17 mins late
Carolinian 30 %
33 mins late
47 mins late
City of New Orleans 75 %
13 mins late
52 mins late
Coast Starlight 29 %
1 hour, 13 mins late
1 hour, 42 mins late
Crescent 0 %
2 hours, 17 mins late
2 hours, 17 mins late
Empire Builder 61 %
20 mins late
51 mins late
Lake Shore Limited 36 %
42 mins late
1 hour, 5 mins late
Maple Leaf 62 %
13 mins late
35 mins late
Palmetto 30 %
25 mins late
36 mins late
Silver Meteor 53 %
20 mins late
42 mins late
Silver Star 25 %
1 hour, 9 mins late
1 hour, 31 mins late
Southwest Chief 52 %
40 mins late
1 hour, 23 mins late
Sunset Limited 18 %
1 hour, 53 mins late
2 hours, 18 mins late
Texas Eagle 29 %
39 mins late
54 mins late
Vermonter 53 %
20 mins late
43 mins late
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