Amtrak's Long-Distance Train Performance
December 2020
Sixty-four percent of Amtrak's named long-distance trains arrived at their final destination on time or earlier in December 2020.
The average arrival of all long-distance trains in the survey period was 25 minutes late.
The average arrival of just those trains that were behind schedule was one hour and 10 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 likely differ.
Average daily long-distance train performance in December 2020 was as follows:
Date
Pct on-time arrival
Overall avg arrival
Avg arrival if late
Tuesday, December 1 54 %
7 mins late
15 mins late
Wednesday, December 2 81 %
13 mins late
1 hour, 11 mins late
Thursday, December 3 63 %
22 mins late
59 mins late
Friday, December 4 81 %
12 mins late
1 hour, 5 mins late
Saturday, December 5 48 %
31 mins late
1 hour late
Sunday, December 6 64 %
25 mins late
1 hour, 10 mins late
Monday, December 7 61 %
25 mins late
1 hour, 4 mins late
Tuesday, December 8 83 %
13 mins late
1 hour, 19 mins late
Wednesday, December 9 63 %
38 mins late
1 hour, 41 mins late
Thursday, December 10 81 %
4 mins late
22 mins late
Friday, December 11 44 %
40 mins late
1 hour, 11 mins late
Saturday, December 12 52 %
40 mins late
1 hour, 25 mins late
Sunday, December 13 71 %
20 mins late
1 hour, 11 mins late
Monday, December 14 64 %
27 mins late
1 hour, 13 mins late
Tuesday, December 15 85 %
10 mins late
1 hour, 6 mins late
Wednesday, December 16 47 %
26 mins late
49 mins late
Thursday, December 17 47 %
48 mins late
1 hour, 30 mins late
Friday, December 18 56 %
36 mins late
1 hour, 22 mins late
Saturday, December 19 52 %
29 mins late
1 hour, 1 min late
Sunday, December 20 71 %
9 mins late
33 mins late
Monday, December 21 70 %
33 mins late
1 hour, 48 mins late
Tuesday, December 22 77 %
9 mins late
39 mins late
Wednesday, December 23 75 %
8 mins late
31 mins late
Thursday, December 24 44 %
1 hour, 1 min late
1 hour, 48 mins late
Christmas 50 %
37 mins late
1 hour, 15 mins late
Saturday, December 26 81 %
28 mins late
2 hours, 29 mins late
Sunday, December 27 64 %
19 mins late
54 mins late
Monday, December 28 78 %
7 mins late
33 mins late
Tuesday, December 29 62 %
20 mins late
53 mins late
Wednesday, December 30 71 %
13 mins late
43 mins late
Thursday, December 31 69 %
36 mins late
1 hour, 57 mins late
Composite for Month 64 %
25 mins late
1 hour, 10 mins late
Five-year comparison for December . . .
5-year comparison
Pct on-time arrival
Overall avg arrival
Avg arrival if late
. .
.
.
December 2016 35 %
54 mins late
1 hour, 23 mins late
December 2017 35 %
1 hour late
1 hour, 32 mins late
December 2018 37 %
59 mins late
1 hour, 33 mins late
December 2019 43 %
39 mins late
1 hour, 9 mins late
December 2020 64 %
25 mins late
1 hour, 10 mins late
December 2020 Train-by-Train Performance . . .
Train
Pct on-time arrival
Overall avg arrival
Avg arrival if late
Auto Train 92 %
3 mins late
41 mins late
California Zephyr 80 %
15 mins late
1 hour, 14 mins late
Capitol Limited 42 %
46 mins late
1 hour, 20 mins late
Cardinal 31 %
57 mins late
1 hour, 22 mins late
Carolinian 72 %
5 mins late
20 mins late
City of New Orleans 88 %
11 mins late
1 hour, 39 mins late
Coast Starlight 78 %
14 mins late
1 hour, 5 mins late
Crescent 20 %
1 hour, 11 mins late
1 hour, 28 mins late
Empire Builder 79 %
9 mins late
43 mins late
Lake Shore Limited 49 %
33 mins late
1 hour, 4 mins late
Maple Leaf [no data]
.
.
Palmetto 73 %
14 mins late
52 mins late
Silver Meteor 61 %
13 mins late
34 mins late
Silver Star 58 %
26 mins late
1 hour, 2 mins late
Southwest Chief 46 %
42 mins late
1 hour, 18 mins late
Sunset Limited 28 %
1 hour, 14 mins late
1 hour, 42 mins late
Texas Eagle 81 %
32 mins late
2 hours, 47 mins late
Vermonter [no data]
.
.
Composite for Month 64 %
25 mins late
1 hour, 10 mins late
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