Amtrak's Long-Distance Train Performance
April 2022
Twenty-nine percent of Amtrak's named long-distance trains arrived at their final destination on time or earlier in April 2022.
The average arrival of all long-distance trains in the survey period was 59 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 even though 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 for minutes in advance 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 April 2022 was as follows:
Date
Pct on-time arrival
Overall avg arrival
Avg arrival if late
Friday, April 1 15 %
1 hour, 8 mins late
1 hour, 20 mins late
Saturday, April 2 29 %
51 mins late
1 hour, 12 mins late
Sunday, April 3 19 %
55 mins late
1 hour, 7 mins late
Monday, April 4 17 %
1 hour, 14 mins late
1 hour, 29 mins late
Tuesday, April 5 38 %
46 mins late
1 hour, 14 mins late
Wednesday, April 6 30 %
1 hour, 11 mins late
1 hour, 42 mins late
Thursday, April 7 33 %
1 hour, 16 mins late
1 hour, 54 mins late
Friday, April 8 27 %
58 mins late
1 hour, 20 mins late
Saturday, April 9 32 %
1 hour, 3 mins late
1 hour, 32 mins late
Sunday, April 10 27 %
46 mins late
1 hour, 3 mins late
Monday, April 11 30 %
1 hour, 5 mins late
1 hour, 33 mins late
Tuesday, April 12 34 %
49 mins late
1 hour, 15 mins late
Wednesday, April 13 14 %
55 mins late
1 hour, 4 mins late
Thursday, April 14 20 %
1 hour, 55 mins late
2 hours, 24 mins late
Friday, April 15 16 %
1 hour, 16 mins late
1 hour, 31 mins late
Saturday, April 16 36 %
38 mins late
59 mins late
Easter 48 %
37 mins late
1 hour, 11 mins late
Monday, April 18 33 %
1 hour, 11 mins late
1 hour, 46 mins late
Tuesday, April 19 42 %
35 mins late
1 hour, 1 min late
Wednesday, April 20 32 %
32 mins late
47 mins late
Thursday, April 21 26 %
41 mins late
56 mins late
Friday, April 22 30 %
59 mins late
1 hour, 24 mins late
Saturday, April 23 29 %
1 hour, 37 mins late
2 hours, 15 mins late
Sunday, April 24 20 %
1 hour, 30 mins late
1 hour, 53 mins late
Monday, April 25 40 %
46 mins late
1 hour, 17 mins late
Tuesday, April 26 34 %
1 hour, 3 mins late
1 hour, 35 mins late
Wednesday, April 27 48 %
45 mins late
1 hour, 27 mins late
Thursday, April 28 17 %
1 hour, 12 mins late
1 hour, 26 mins late
Friday, April 29 24 %
1 hour, 1 min late
1 hour, 21 mins late
Saturday, April 30 50 %
31 mins late
1 hour, 2 mins late
. .
.
.
Composite for Month 29 %
59 mins late
1 hour, 24 mins late
Seven-year comparison for April . . .
7-year comparison
Pct on-time arrival
Overall avg arrival
Avg arrival if late
April 2016 44 %
36 mins late
1 hour, 4 mins late
April 2017 31 %
52 mins late
1 hour, 16 mins late
April 2018 37 %
47 mins late
1 hour, 15 mins late
April 2019 37 %
53 mins late
1 hour, 24 mins late
April 2020 68 %
20 mins late
1 hour late
April 2021 42 %
39 mins late
1 hour, 7 mins late
April 2022 29 %
59 mins late
1 hour, 24 mins late
April 2022 Train-by-Train Performance . . .
Train
Pct on-time arrival
Overall avg arrival
Avg arrival if late
Auto Train 23 %
53 mins late
1 hour, 10 mins late
California Zephyr 2 %
3 hours, 10 mins late
3 hours, 15 mins late
Capitol Limited 10 %
1 hour, 23 mins late
1 hour, 32 mins late
Cardinal 40 %
19 mins late
32 mins late
Carolinian 48 %
15 mins late
29 mins late
City of New Orleans 64 %
18 mins late
51 mins late
Coast Starlight 50 %
41 mins late
1 hour, 22 mins late
Crescent 16 %
1 hour, 29 mins late
1 hour, 46 mins late
Empire Builder 33 %
59 mins late
1 hour, 28 mins late
Lake Shore Limited 33 %
28 mins late
42 mins late
Maple Leaf [no data]
.
.
Palmetto 25 %
25 mins late
33 mins late
Silver Meteor [no data]
.
.
Silver Star 10 %
1 hour, 25 mins late
1 hour, 34 mins late
Southwest Chief 18 %
1 hour, 26 mins late
1 hour, 44 mins late
Sunset Limited 8 %
3 hours, 29 mins late
3 hours, 48 mins late
Texas Eagle 31 %
55 mins late
1 hour, 19 mins late
Vermonter 48 %
3 mins late
6 mins late
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Year-to-Date 2022 Standings - Percentage On-Time Arrival *
Train |
Pct on-time arrival |
City of New Orleans | 64 % |
Silver Meteor | 59 % |
Carolinian | 53 % |
Coast Starlight | 53 % |
Texas Eagle | 52 % |
Vermonter | 45 % |
Palmetto | 42 % |
Empire Builder | 41 % |
Lake Shore Limited | 37 % |
Southwest Chief | 34 % |
Auto Train | 34 % |
Cardinal | 30 % |
Sunset Limited | 28 % |
Crescent | 23 % |
Silver Star | 20 % |
California Zephyr | 20 % |
Capitol Limited | 14 % |
Year-to-Date 2022 Standings - Overall Average Arrival *
Train |
Overall avg arrival |
Vermonter | 9 mins late |
Carolinian | 16 mins late |
Palmetto | 21 mins late |
City of New Orleans | 27 mins late |
Texas Eagle | 34 mins late |
Lake Shore Limited | 37 mins late |
Cardinal | 47 mins late |
Coast Starlight | 50 mins late |
Auto Train | 52 mins late |
Silver Meteor | 58 mins late |
Southwest Chief | 1 hour, 15 mins late |
Silver Star | 1 hour, 16 mins late |
Capitol Limited | 1 hour, 20 mins late |
Empire Builder | 1 hour, 25 mins late |
Crescent | 1 hour, 26 mins late |
Sunset Limited | 2 hours, 11 mins late |
California Zephyr | 2 hours, 17 mins late |
Year-to-Date 2022 Standings - Average Arrival, Only When Late *
Train |
Avg arrival when late |
Vermonter | 16 mins late |
Carolinian | 33 mins late |
Palmetto | 35 mins late |
Lake Shore Limited | 59 mins late |
Cardinal | 1 hour, 7 mins late |
Texas Eagle | 1 hour, 11 mins late |
City of New Orleans | 1 hour, 16 mins late |
Auto Train | 1 hour, 18 mins late |
Capitol Limited | 1 hour, 34 mins late |
Silver Star | 1 hour, 36 mins late |
Coast Starlight | 1 hour, 45 mins late |
Crescent | 1 hour, 52 mins late |
Southwest Chief | 1 hour, 53 mins late |
Silver Meteor | 2 hours, 21 mins late |
Empire Builder | 2 hours, 24 mins late |
California Zephyr | 2 hours, 51 mins late |
Sunset Limited | 3 hours, 1 min late |
* First four months of 2022
.