Amtrak's Long-Distance Train Performance
July 2020
For the month of July 2020, the Bull Sheet has calculated that 47 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 18 percent.]
The average arrival of all long-distance trains in the survey period was 42 minutes late. [In the same month last year the average was one hour and 37 minutes late.]
The average arrival of just the trains that were behind schedule was one hour and 20 minutes late. [In the same month last year it was one hour and 58 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 late. Amtrak routinely reports trains arriving on time if they are nominally late, within certain guidelines, but the Bull Sheet conveys more realistic parameters reflecting actual performance (on time, or it is late).
Trains arriving ahead of schedule are simply 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 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 will generally differ.
Traffic in July was somewhat impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. This, and freight volumes on host railroads being depressed, resulted in more improved Amtrak performance in this period. Moreover, a number of trains that would ordinarily operate were either truncated or did not run at all. The averages reflected in this survey period are not typical by historical standards, but they are presented nevertheless as a matter of record.
Average daily long-distance train performance in July 2020 was as follows:
Date
Pct on-time arrival
Overall avg arrival
Avg arrival if late
Wednesday, July 1 45 %
1 hour, 10 mins late
2 hours, 6 mins late
Thursday, July 2 43 %
25 mins late
44 mins late
Friday, July 3 44 %
34 mins late
1 hour, 1 min late
Saturday, July 4 69 %
15 mins late
48 mins late
Sunday, July 5 77 %
13 mins late
57 mins late
Monday, July 6 67 %
37 mins late
1 hour, 52 mins late
Tuesday, July 7 66 %
40 mins late
1 hour, 55 mins late
Wednesday, July 8 36 %
1 hour late
1 hour, 33 mins late
Thursday, July 9 52 %
24 mins late
50 mins late
Friday, July 10 59 %
31 mins late
1 hour, 14 mins late
Saturday, July 11 50 %
28 mins late
56 mins late
Sunday, July 12 37 %
34 mins late
53 mins late
Monday, July 13 60 %
40 mins late
1 hour, 40 mins late
Tuesday, July 14 38 %
38 mins late
1 hour, 1 min late
Wednesday, July 15 47 %
50 mins late
1 hour, 34 mins late
Thursday, July 16 52 %
50 mins late
1 hour, 33 mins late
Friday, July 17 47 %
48 mins late
1 hour, 30 mins late
Saturday, July 18 54 %
32 mins late
1 hour, 9 mins late
Sunday, July 19 40 %
1 hour, 21 mins late
2 hours, 14 mins late
Monday, July 20 33 %
1 hour, 26 mins late
2 hours, 9 mins late
Tuesday, July 21 39 %
28 mins late
46 mins late
Wednesday, July 22 33 %
1 hour, 24 mins late
2 hours, 7 mins late
Thursday, July 23 21 %
1 hour, 8 mins late
1 hour, 26 mins late
Friday, July 24 38 %
1 hour, 14 mins late
2 hours late
Saturday, July 25 54 %
45 mins late
1 hour, 36 mins late
Sunday, July 26 53 %
23 mins late
49 mins late
Monday, July 27 50 %
18 mins late
36 mins late
Tuesday, July 28 45 %
42 mins late
1 hour, 16 mins late
Wednesday, July 29 43 %
34 mins late
1 hour late
Thursday, July 30 36 %
38 mins late
59 mins late
Friday, July 31 37 %
26 mins late
41 mins late
Composite for Month 47 %
42 mins late
1 hour, 20 mins late
Five-year comparison for July . . .
5-year comparison
Pct on-time arrival
Overall avg arrival
Avg arrival if late
. .
.
.
July 2016 30 %
59 mins late
1 hour, 24 mins late
July 2017 22 %
1 hour, 19 mins late
1 hour, 41 mins late
July 2018 20 %
1 hour, 33 mins late
1 hour, 56 mins late
July 2019 18 %
1 hour, 37 mins late
1 hour, 58 mins late
July 2020 47 %
42 mins late
1 hour, 20 mins late
July 2020 Train-by-Train Performance . . .
Train
Pct on-time arrival
Overall avg arrival
Avg arrival if late
Auto Train 74 %
9 mins late
34 mins late
California Zephyr 42 %
1 hour, 21 mins late
2 hours, 20 mins late
Capitol Limited 31 %
35 mins late
51 mins late
Cardinal 41 %
50 mins late
1 hour, 25 mins late
Carolinian 30 %
34 mins late
48 mins late
City of New Orleans 94 %
4 mins late
57 mins late
Coast Starlight 77 %
12 mins late
51 mins late
Crescent 32 %
35 mins late
52 mins late
Empire Builder 70 %
21 mins late
1 hour, 8 mins late
Lake Shore Limited 48 %
21 mins late
39 mins late
Maple Leaf [no data]
.
.
Palmetto 18 %
51 mins late
1 hour, 2 mins late
Silver Meteor 42 %
44 mins late
1 hour, 16 mins late
Silver Star 19 %
1 hour, 20 mins late
1 hour, 39 mins late
Southwest Chief 34 %
2 hours, 1 min late
3 hours, 3 mins late
Sunset Limited 26 %
1 hour, 41 mins late
2 hours, 17 mins late
Texas Eagle 39 %
46 mins late
1 hour, 15 mins late
Vermonter [no data]
.
.
Composite for Month 47 %
42 mins late
1 hour, 20 mins late
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2020 Year-to-Date Standings - Percentage On-Time Arrival
Train
Pct On Time Arrival
City of New Orleans 89 %
Maple Leaf 78 %
Coast Starlight 69 %
Empire Builder 69 %
Vermonter 67 %
Auto Train 63 %
Southwest Chief 63 %
California Zephyr 62 %
Silver Meteor 58 %
Silver Star 56 %
Lake Shore Limited 55 %
Carolinian 54 %
Cardinal 53 %
Texas Eagle 43 %
Capitol Limited 42 %
Palmetto 37 %
Sunset Limited 29 %
Crescent 26 %
2020 Year-to-Date Standings - Overall Average Arrival
Train
Overall Average Arrival
Maple Leaf 3 mins late
Vermonter 4 mins late
City of New Orleans 8 mins late
Lake Shore Limited 18 mins late
Coast Starlight 19 mins late
Carolinian 21 mins late
Capitol Limited 26 mins late
Auto Train 27 mins late
EmpireBuilder 28 mins late
Palmetto 28 mins late
Silver Meteor 30 mins late
Silver Star 33 mins late
Cardinal 39 mins late
Southwest Chief 42 mins late
Texas Eagle 46 mins late
California Zephyr 49 mins late
Crescent 1 hour, 11 mins late
Sunset Limited 1 hour, 38 mins late
2020 Year-to-Date Standings - Average Arrival if Late
Train
Average arrival if late
Vermonter 12 mins late
Maple Leaf 14 mins late
Lake Shore Limited 39 mins late
Palmetto 45 mins late
Carolinian 46 mins late
Capitol Limited 46 mins late
Coast Starlight 1 hour, 1 min late
Silver Meteor 1 hour, 11 mins late
Auto Train 1 hour, 13 mins late
Silver Star 1 hour, 15 mins late
City of New Orleans 1 hour, 20 mins late
Texas Eagle 1 hour, 20 mins late
Cardinal 1 hour, 23 mins late
Empire Builder 1 hour, 33 mins late
Crescent 1 hour, 37 mins late
Southwest Chief 1 hour, 52 mins late
California Zephyr 2 hours, 8 mins late
Sunset Limited 2 hours, 17 mins late