Amtrak's Long-Distance Train Performance
March 2021
Forty-two percent of Amtrak's named long-distance trains arrived at their final destination on time or earlier in March 2021.
The average arrival of all long-distance trains in the survey period was 50 minutes late.
The average arrival of just those trains that were behind schedule was one hour and 26 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.
Average daily long-distance train performance in March 2021 was as follows:
Date
Pct on-time arrival
Overall avg arrival
Avg arrival if late
Monday, March 1 59 %
37 mins late
1 hour, 30 mins late
Tuesday, March 2 38 %
56 mins late
1 hour, 32 mins late
Wednesday, March 3 44 %
43 mins late
1 hour, 16 mins late
Thursday, March 4 38 %
46 mins late
1 hour, 14 mins late
Friday, March 5 25 %
58 mins late
1 hour, 17 mins late
Saturday, March 6 57 %
33 mins late
1 hour, 18 mins late
Sunday, March 7 64 %
22 mins late
1 hour, 1 min late
Monday, March 8 64 %
39 mins late
1 hour, 47 mins late
Tuesday, March 9 31 %
41 mins late
59 mins late
Wednesday, March 10 38 %
38 mins late
1 hour, 1 min late
Thursday, March 11 44 %
48 mins late
1 hour, 25 mins late
Friday, March 12 38 %
1 hour, 42 mins late
2 hours, 43 mins late
Saturday, March 13 43 %
28 mins late
50 mins late
Sunday, March 14 57 %
11 mins late
25 mins late
Monday, March 15 25 %
1 hour, 59 mins late
2 hours, 39 mins late
Tuesday, March 16 46 %
23 mins late
43 mins late
Wednesday, March 17 31 %
1 hour, 17 mins late
1 hour, 52 mins late
Thursday, March 18 14 %
58 mins late
1 hour, 7 mins late
Friday, March 19 33 %
33 mins late
50 mins late
Saturday, March 20 53 %
28 mins late
59 mins late
Sunday, March 21 56 %
29 mins late
1 hour, 7 mins late
Monday, March 22 55 %
32 mins late
1 hour, 11 mins late
Tuesday, March 23 31 %
30 mins late
43 mins late
Wednesday, March 24 50 %
50 mins late
1 hour, 41 mins late
Thursday, March 25 33 %
43 mins late
1 hour, 5 mins late
Friday, March 26 20 %
1 hour, 39 mins late
2 hours, 4 mins late
Saturday, March 27 19 %
1 hour, 25 mins late
1 hour, 45 mins late
Sunday, March 28 62 %
29 mins late
1 hour, 14 mins late
Monday, March 29 25 %
1 hour, 22 mins late
1 hour, 49 mins late
Tuesday, March 30 55 %
49 mins late
1 hour, 48 mins late
Wednesday, March 31 43 %
58 mins late
1 hour, 41 mins late
Composite for Month 42 %
50 mins late
1 hour, 26 mins late
Seven-year comparison for March . . .
7-year comparison
Pct on-time arrival
Overall avg arrival
Avg arrival if late
March 2015 34 %
1 hour late
1 hour, 30 mins late
March 2016 44 %
40 mins late
1 hour, 12 mins late
March 2017 26 %
1 hour, 9 mins late
1 hour, 33 mins late
March 2018 39 %
57 mins late
1 hour, 32 mins late
March 2019 34 %
1 hour, 21 mins late
2 hours, 2 mins late
March 2020 54 %
37 mins late
1 hour, 21 mins late
March 2021 42 %
50 mins late
1 hour, 26 mins late
March 2021 Train-by-Train Performance . . .
Train
Pct on-time arrival
Overall avg arrival
Avg arrival if late
Auto Train 39 %
39 mins late
1 hour, 4 mins late
California Zephyr 52 %
1 hour, 30 mins late
3 hours, 8 mins late
Capitol Limited 15 %
1 hour, 7 mins late
1 hour, 20 mins late
Cardinal 42 %
31 mins late
53 mins late
Carolinian 78 %
5 mins late
23 mins late
City of New Orleans 65 %
28 mins late
1 hour, 22 mins late
Coast Starlight 56 %
16 mins late
37 mins late
Crescent 7 %
2 hours, 17 mins late
2 hours, 27 mins late
Empire Builder 63 %
30 mins late
1 hour, 22 mins late
Lake Shore Limited 29 %
56 mins late
1 hour, 19 mins late
Maple Leaf [no data]
.
.
Palmetto 62 %
33 mins late
1 hour, 25 mins late
Silver Meteor 32 %
41 mins late
1 hour, 1 min late
Silver Star 32 %
1 hour late
1 hour, 29 mins late
Southwest Chief 15 %
1 hour, 36 mins late
1 hour, 52 mins late
Sunset Limited 11 %
1 hour, 27 mins late
1 hour, 38 mins late
Texas Eagle 46 %
36 mins late
1 hour, 7 mins late
Vermonter [no data]
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.
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2021 Year-to-Date Standings - Percentage On-Time Arrival
Train |
Pct on-time arrival |
| City of New Orleans | 81 % |
| Carolinian | 70 % |
| Empire Builder | 65 % |
| Texas Eagle | 64 % |
| Palmetto | 59 % |
| Auto Train | 56 % |
| Coast Starlight | 55 % |
| California Zephyr | 54 % |
| Silver Meteor | 51 % |
| Cardinal | 38 % |
| Southwest Chief | 36 % |
| Silver Star | 36 % |
| Lake Shore Limited | 35 % |
| Capitol Limited | 17 % |
| Sunset Limited | 17 % |
| Crescent | 14 % |
2021 Year-to-Date Standings - Overall Average Arrival
Train |
Overall avg arrival |
| City of New Orleans | 13 mins late |
| Carolinian | 17 mins late |
| Silver Meteor | 30 mins late |
| Texas Eagle | 30 mins late |
| Palmetto | 32 mins late |
| Empire Builder | 36 mins late |
| Cardinal | 38 mins late |
| Lake Shore Limited | 41 mins late |
| Auto Train | 47 mins late |
| Coast Starlight | 54 mins late |
| Southwest Chief | 55 mins late |
| Capitol Limited | 58 mins late |
| California Zephyr | 1 hour, 2 mins late |
| Silver Star | 1 hour, 21 mins late |
| Sunset Limited | 1 hour, 29 mins late |
| Crescent | 1 hour, 49 mins late |
2021 Year-to-Date Standings - Average Arrival, Only When Late
Train |
Avg arrival when late |
| Carolinian | 57 mins late |
| Silver Meteor | 1 hour late |
| Cardinal | 1 hour, 1 min late |
| Lake Shore Limited | 1 hour, 4 mins late |
| City of New Orleans | 1 hour, 8 mins late |
| Capitol Limited | 1 hour, 10 mins late |
| Palmetto | 1 hour, 19 mins late |
| Texas Eagle | 1 hour, 23 mins late |
| Southwest Chief | 1 hour, 26 mins late |
| Empire Builder | 1 hour, 35 mins late |
| Auto Train | 1 hour, 47 mins late |
| Sunset Limited | 1 hour, 47 mins late |
| Coast Starlight | 1 hour, 59 mins late |
| Crescent | 2 hours, 6 mins late |
| Silver Star | 2 hours, 6 mins late |
| California Zephyr | 2 hours, 15 mins late |