Amtrak's Long-Distance Train Performance
October 2021
Thirty-nine percent of Amtrak's named long-distance trains arrived at their scheduled final destination on time or earlier in October 2021.
The average arrival of all long-distance trains in the survey period was 52 minutes late.
The average arrival of just those trains that were behind schedule was one hour and 24 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 nominally late as on time, 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 October 2021 was as follows:
Date
Pct on-time arrival
Overall avg arrival
Avg arrival if late
Friday, October 1 37 %
48 mins late
1 hour, 17 mins late
Saturday, October 2 33 %
1 hour late
1 hour, 30 mins late
Sunday, October 3 45 %
55 mins late
1 hour, 41 mins late
Monday, October 4 41 %
1 hour, 2 mins late
1 hour, 45 mins late
Tuesday, October 5 63 %
18 mins late
49 mins late
Wednesday, October 6 41 %
39 mins late
1 hour, 6 mins late
Thursday, October 7 30 %
53 mins late
1 hour, 16 mins late
Friday, October 8 34 %
31 mins late
46 mins late
Saturday, October 9 33 %
47 mins late
1 hour, 10 mins late
Sunday, October 10 44 %
59 mins late
1 hour, 45 mins late
Monday, October 11 61 %
37 mins late
1 hour, 35 mins late
Tuesday, October 12 34 %
40 mins late
1 hour, 1 min late
Wednesday, October 13 47 %
43 mins late
1 hour, 21 mins late
Thursday, October 14 35 %
29 mins late
45 mins late
Friday, October 15 35 %
41 mins late
1 hour, 3 mins late
Saturday, October 16 45 %
31 mins late
58 mins late
Sunday, October 17 50 %
52 mins late
1 hour, 44 mins late
Monday, October 18 21 %
1 hour, 10 mins late
1 hour, 28 mins late
Tuesday, October 19 33 %
35 mins late
53 mins late
Wednesday, October 20 26 %
56 mins late
1 hour, 17 mins late
Thursday, October 21 36 %
42 mins late
1 hour, 6 mins late
Friday, October 22 46 %
27 mins late
50 mins late
Saturday, October 23 45 %
46 mins late
1 hour, 24 mins late
Sunday, October 24 44 %
1 hour, 5 mins late
1 hour, 56 mins late
Monday, October 25 35 %
52 mins late
1 hour, 20 mins late
Tuesday, October 26 39 %
1 hour, 7 mins late
1 hour, 51 mins late
Wednesday, October 27 33 %
1 hour, 11 mins late
1 hour, 47 mins late
Thursday, October 28 24 %
58 mins late
1 hour, 17 mins late
Friday, October 29 23 %
1 hour, 30 mins late
1 hour, 57 mins late
Saturday, October 30 42 %
1 hour, 26 mins late
2 hours, 30 mins late
Sunday, October 31 44 %
1 hour, 22 mins late
2 hours, 28 mins late
Composite for Month 39 %
52 mins late
1 hour, 24 mins late
Six-year comparison for October . . .
6-year comparison
Pct on-time arrival
Overall avg arrival
Avg arrival if late
October 2016 38 %
44 mins late
1 hour, 12 mins late
October 2017 31 %
55 mins late
1 hour, 20 mins late
October 2018 34 %
49 mins late
1 hour, 15 mins late
October 2019 32 %
53 mins late
1 hour, 17 mins late
October 2020 55 %
30 mins late
1 hour, 6 mins late
October 2021 39 %
52 mins late
1 hour, 24 mins late
October 2021 Train-by-Train Performance . . .
Train
Pct on-time arrival
Overall avg arrival
Avg arrival if late
Auto Train 16 %
2 hours, 17 mins late
2 hours, 42 mins late
California Zephyr 28 %
1 hour, 50 mins late
2 hours, 33 mins late
Capitol Limited 18 %
1 hour, 3 mins late
1 hour, 16 mins late
Cardinal 35 %
23 mins late
36 mins late
Carolinian 50 %
19 mins late
39 mins late
City of New Orleans 84 %
15 mins late
1 hour, 31 mins late
Coast Starlight 38 %
1 hour, 8 mins late
1 hour, 49 mins late
Crescent 43 %
35 mins late
1 hour, 2 mins late
Empire Builder 51 %
33 mins late
1 hour, 6 mins late
Lake Shore Limited 29 %
37 mins late
52 mins late
Maple Leaf [no data]
.
.
Palmetto 41 %
21 mins late
36 mins late
Silver Meteor 42 %
39 mins late
1 hour, 8 mins late
Silver Star 40 %
1 hour, 8 mins late
1 hour, 54 mins late
Southwest Chief 27 %
1 hour, 10 mins late
1 hour, 36 mins late
Sunset Limited 15 %
1 hour, 51 mins late
2 hours, 10 mins late
Texas Eagle 45 %
56 mins late
1 hour, 42 mins late
Vermonter 39 %
14 mins late
23 mins late
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2021 Year-to-Date Standings - Percentage On-Time Arrival
Train |
Pct on-time arrival |
City of New Orleans | 87 % |
Empire Builder | 58 % |
Carolinian | 53 % |
Texas Eagle | 52 % |
Silver Meteor | 47 % |
Auto Train | 47 % |
Coast Starlight | 44 % |
Crescent | 39 % |
Cardinal | 34 % |
Silver Star | 34 % |
Vermonter | 32 % |
Lake Shore Limited | 30 % |
California Zephyr | 29 % |
Palmetto | 28 % |
Southwest Chief | 26 % |
Sunset Limited | 16 % |
Capitol Limited | 12 % |
2021 Year-to-Date Standings - Overall Average Arrival
Train |
Overall avg arrival |
City of New Orleans | 10 mins late |
Vermonter | 18 mins late |
Carolinian | 20 mins late |
Empire Builder | 34 mins late |
Silver Meteor | 36 mins late |
Palmetto | 38 mins late |
Lake Shore Limited | 40 mins late |
Texas Eagle | 45 mins late |
Cardinal | 45 mins late |
Crescent | 55 mins late |
Coast Starlight | 56 mins late |
Auto Train | 58 mins late |
Silver Star | 1 hour, 1 min late |
Capitol Limited | 1 hour, 13 mins late |
Southwest Chief | 1 hour, 35 mins late |
California Zephyr | 1 hour, 51 mins late |
Sunset Limited | 1 hour, 58 mins late |
2021 Year-to-Date Standings - Average Arrival, Only When Late
Train |
Avg arrival when late |
Vermonter | 26 mins late |
Carolinian | 43 mins late |
Palmetto | 54 mins late |
Lake Shore Limited | 57 mins late |
Silver Meteor | 1 hour, 8 mins late |
Cardinal | 1 hour, 8 mins late |
City of New Orleans | 1 hour, 18 mins late |
Empire Builder | 1 hour, 20 mins late |
Capitol Limited | 1 hour, 24 mins late |
Crescent | 1 hour, 30 mins late |
Silver Star | 1 hour, 32 mins late |
Texas Eagle | 1 hour, 33 mins late |
Coast Starlight | 1 hour, 40 mins late |
Auto Train | 1 hour, 48 mins late |
Southwest Chief | 2 hours, 8 mins late |
Sunset Limited | 2 hours, 20 mins late |
California Zephyr | 2 hours, 36 mins late |