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Amtrak's Long-Distance Train Performance

February 2019

For the month of February 2019, the Bull Sheet has calculated that 39 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 37 percent.]

The average arrival of all long-distance trains in the survey period was one hour and 13 minutes late. [In the same month last year it was 55 mins late.]

The average arrival of the trains that were behind schedule was one hour and 59 minutes late. [In the same month last year it was one hour and 27 minutes late.]

The train with the best on-time performance in February 2019 was Auto Train (79 percent), and the train with the worst on-time performance was Crescent (5 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 February 2019 was as follows:

 Date

 Pct on-time arrival

 Overall avg arrival

 Avg arrival if late

 Friday, February 1

 32 %

 55 mins late

 1 hour, 20 mins late

 Saturday, February 2

 58 %

 1 hour, 19 mins late

 3 hours, 6 mins late

 Sunday, February 3

 53 %

 1 hour, 8 mins late

 2 hours, 27 mins late

 Monday, February 4

 52 %

 59 mins late

 2 hours, 2 mins late

 Tuesday, February 5

 67 %

 19 mins late

 57 mins late

 Wednesday, February 6

 32 %

 54 mins late

 1 hour, 20 mins late

 Thursday, February 7

 39 %

 41 mins late

 1 hour, 7 mins late

 Friday, February 8

 28 %

 1 hour, 22 mins late

 1 hour, 54 mins late

 Saturday, February 9

 37 %

 2 hours, 9 mins late

 3 hours, 26 mins late

 Sunday, February 10

 46 %

 1 hour, 4 mins late

 1 hour, 58 mins late

 Monday, February 11

 31 %

 1 hour, 15 mins late

 1 hour, 50 mins late

 Tuesday, February 12

 25 %

 1 hour, 4 mins late

 1 hour, 26 mins late

 Wednesday, February 13

 29 %

 44 mins late

 1 hour, 2 mins late

 Thursday, February 14

 37 %

 1 hour, 29 mins late

 2 hours, 20 mins late

 Friday, February 15

 32 %

 1 hour, 14 mins late

 1 hour, 50 mins late

 Saturday, February 16

 48 %

 1 hour, 12 mins late

 2 hours, 21 mins late

 Sunday, February 17

 51 %

 1 hour, 13 mins late

 2 hours, 30 mins late

 Monday, February 18

 47 %

 53 mins late

 1 hour, 41 mins late

 Tuesday, February 19

 50 %

 1 hour, 6 mins late

 2 hours, 12 mins late

 Wednesday, February 20

 27 %

 1 hour 3 mins late

 1 hour, 27 mins late

 Thursday, February 21

 29 %

 1 hour, 28 mins late

 2 hours, 4 mins late

 Friday, February 22

 44 %

 57 mins late

 1 hour, 43 mins late

 Saturday, February 23

 34 %

 1 hour, 2 mins late

 1 hour, 35 mins late

 Sunday, February 24

 39 %

 2 hours, 7 mins late

 3 hours, 28 mins late

 Monday, February 25

 19 %

 2 hours, 48 mins late

 3 hours, 28 mins late

 Tuesday, February 26

 28 %

 1 hour, 38 mins late

 2 hours, 15 mins late

 Wednesday, February 27

 22 %

 44 mins late

 56 mins late

 Thursday, February 28

 38 %

 1 hour, 27 mins late

 2 hours, 21 mins late

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 Composite for February

 39 %

 1 hour, 13 mins late

 1 hour, 59 mins late

Month of February - Five Year Comparison

 Month

 Pct on-time arrival

 Overall avg arrival

 Avg arrival if late

 February 2019

 39 %

 1 hour, 13 mins late

 1 hour, 59 mins late

 February 2018

 37 %

 55 mins late

 1 hour, 27 mins late

 February 2017

 40 %

 50 mins late

 1 hour, 24 mins late

 February 2016

 50 %

 34 mins late

 1 hour, 7 mins late

 February 2015

 38 %

 1 hour, 1 min late

 1 hour, 40 mins late

February 2019 Train-by-Train Performance

 Train

 Pct on-time arrival

 Overall avg arrival

 Avg arrival if late

 Auto Train

 79 %

 11 mins late

 51 mins late

 California Zephyr

 10 %

 3 hours, 30 mins late

 3 hours, 53 mins late

 Capitol Limited

  9 %

 1 hour, 16 mins late

 1 hour, 24 mins late

 Cardinal

 26 %

 2 hours, 4 mins late

 2 hours, 48 mins late

 Carolinian

 46 %

 23 mins late

 43 mins late

 City of New Orleans

 60 %

 36 mins late

 1 hour, 30 mins late

 Coast Starlight

 33 %

 1 hour, 24 mins late

 2 hours, 5 mins late

 Crescent

  5 %

 3 hours, 3 mins late

 3 hours, 14 mins late

 Empire Builder

 13 %

 3 hours, 57 mins late

 4 hours, 31 mins late

 Lake Shore Limited

 31 %

 52 mins late

 1 hour, 15 mins late

 Maple Leaf

 77 %

  7 mins late

 31 mins late

 Palmetto

 38 %

 32 mins late

 51 mins late

 Silver Meteor

 50 %

 13 mins late

 26 mins late

 Silver Star

 21 %

 51 mins late

 1 hour, 5 mins late

 Southwest Chief

 41 %

 1 hour, 17 mins late

 2 hours, 10 mins late

 Sunset Limited

 29 %

 59 mins late

 1 hour, 23 mins late

 Texas Eagle

 40 %

 54 mins late

 1 hour, 29 mins late

 Vermonter

 70 %

 8 mins late

 28 mins late

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