Back Issues

 

Main Page

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

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~