Amtrak's Long-Distance Train Performance
March 2023
Thirty-eight percent of Amtrak's named long-distance trains arrived at their final destination on time or earlier in March 2023.
The average arrival of all long-distance trains in the survey period was one hour and one minute late.
The average arrival of just those trains that were behind schedule was one hour and 39 minutes late.
YEAR-TO-DATE: Forty-five percent of long-distance trains arrived on time or earlier.
YEAR-TO-DATE: Average arrival of long-distance trains was 54 minutes late.
YEAR-TO-DATE: Average arrival of those trains arriving behind schedule was one hour and 38 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 2023 was as follows:
Date
Pct on-time arrival
Overall avg arrival
Avg arrival if late
Wednesday, March 1 24 %
1 hour, 1 min late
1 hour, 20 mins late
Thursday, March 2 52 %
26 mins late
53 mins late
Friday, March 3 28 %
1 hour, 26 mins late
1 hour, 59 mins late
Saturday, March 4 29 %
42 mins late
59 mins late
Sunday, March 5 50 %
34 mins late
1 hour, 8 mins late
Monday, March 6 53 %
21 mins late
44 mins late
Tuesday, March 7 36 %
19 mins late
31 mins late
Wednesday, March 8 41 %
34 mins late
57 mins late
Thursday, March 9 48 %
48 mins late
1 hour, 33 mins late
Friday, March 10 38 %
1 hour, 37 mins late
2 hours, 38 mins late
Saturday, March 11 42 %
1 hour, 12 mins late
2 hours, 5 mins late
Sunday, March 12 47 %
2 hours, 1 min late
3 hours, 48 mins late
Monday, March 13 45 %
1 hour, 17 mins late
2 hours, 21 mins late
Tuesday, March 14 31 %
49 mins late
1 hour, 11 mins late
Wednesday, March 15 50 %
37 mins late
1 hour, 14 mins late
Thursday, March 16 34 %
54 mins late
1 hour, 22 mins late
Friday, March 17 42 %
1 hour, 6 mins late
1 hour, 53 mins late
Saturday, March 18 59 %
58 mins late
2 hours, 22 mins late
Sunday, March 19 49 %
1 hour, 4 mins late
2 hours, 4 mins late
Monday, March 20 47 %
34 mins late
1 hour, 5 mins late
Tuesday, March 21 37 %
47 mins late
1 hour, 15 mins late
Wednesday, March 22 44 %
59 mins late
1 hour, 46 mins late
Thursday, March 23 31 %
1 hour, 33 mins late
2 hours, 16 mins late
Friday, March 24 8 %
1 hour, 36 mins late
1 hour, 45 mins late
Saturday, March 25 24 %
2 hours, 19 mins late
3 hours, 1 min late
Sunday, March 26 29 %
1 hour, 40 mins late
2 hours, 21 mins late
Monday, March 27 26 %
33 mins late
45 mins late
Tuesday, March 28 47 %
51 mins late
1 hour, 36 mins late
Wednesday, March 29 44 %
1 hour late
1 hour, 48 mins late
Thursday, March 30 41 %
54 mins late
1 hour, 31 mins late
Friday, March 31 16 %
52 mins late
1 hour, 2 mins late
Composite for month 38 %
1 hour, 1 min late
1 hour, 39 mins late
Nine-year comparison for March . . .
9-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 2022 33 %
57 mins late
1 hour, 26 mins late
March 2023 38 %
1 hour, 1 min late
1 hour, 39 mins late
March 2023 Train-by-Train Performance . . .
Train
Pct on-time arrival
Overall avg arrival
Avg arrival if late
Auto Train 55 %
31 mins late
1 hour, 8 mins late
California Zephyr 3 %
4 hours, 54 mins late
5 hours, 4 mins late
Capitol Limited 37 %
32 mins late
51 mins late
Cardinal 19 %
1 hour, 1 min late
1 hour, 16 mins late
Carolinian 34 %
34 mins late
52 mins late
City of New Orleans 60 %
15 mins late
37 mins late
Coast Starlight 26 %
1 hour, 58 mins late
2 hours, 39 mins late
Crescent 25 %
1 hour, 6 mins late
1 hour, 27 mins late
Empire Builder 17 %
2 hours, 20 mins late
2 hours, 50 mins late
Lake Shore Limited 63 %
13 mins late
34 mins late
Maple Leaf 45 %
10 mins late
18 mins late
Palmetto 50 %
19 mins late
39 mins late
Silver Meteor 27 %
59 mins late
1 hour, 21 mins late
Silver Star 31 %
1 hour, 9 mins late
1 hour, 39 mins late
Southwest Chief 34 %
1 hour, 37 mins late
2 hours, 27 mins late
Sunset Limited 12 %
1 hour, 30 mins late
1 hour, 42 mins late
Texas Eagle 38 %
1 hour, 17 mins late
2 hours, 4 mins late
Vermonter 66 %
12 mins late
35 mins late
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Year-to-Date Standings * - Percentage On-Time Arrival
Train |
Pct on-time arrival |
| City of New Orleans | 74 % |
| Lake Shore Limited | 60 % |
| Vermonter | 59 % |
| Capitol Limited | 55 % |
| Texas Eagle | 52 % |
| Maple Leaf | 51 % |
| Auto Train | 51 % |
| Palmetto | 51 % |
| Carolinian | 47 % |
| Silver Meteor | 44 % |
| Southwest Chief | 40 % |
| Sunset Limited | 37 % |
| Crescent | 33 % |
| Silver Star | 32 % |
| .Cardinal | 30 % |
| Empire Builder | 29 % |
| Coast Starlight | 28 % |
| California Zephyr | 6 % |
Year-to-Date Standings * - Overall Average Arrival
Train |
Overall avg arrival |
| Maple Leaf | 9 mins late |
| Vermonter | 11 mins late |
| Lake Shore Limited | 14 mins late |
| City of New Orleans | 16 mins late |
| Palmetto | 22 mins late |
| Carolinian | 24 mins late |
| Capitol Limited | 27 mins late |
| Silver Meteor | 36 mins late |
| Texas Eagle | 49 mins late |
| Crescent | 50 mins late |
| Cardinal | 55 mins late |
| Auto Train | 58 mins late |
| Silver Star | 58 mins late |
| Sunset Limited | 1 hour, 2 mins late |
| Southwest Chief | 1 hour, 26 mins late |
| Coast Starlight | 1 hour, 47 mins late |
| Empire Builder | 1 hour, 51 mins late |
| California Zephyr | 3 hours, 52 mins late |
Year-to-Date Standings * - Average Arrival When Late
Train
Avg arrival when late
Maple Leaf 18 mins late
Vermonter 26 mins late
Lake Shore Limited 35 mins late
Palmetto 44 mins late
Carolinian 45 mins late
Capitol Limited 1 hour late
City of New Orleans 1 hour, 3 mins late
Silver Meteor 1 hour, 5 mins late
Crescent 1 hour, 14 mins late
Cardinal 1 hour, 18 mins late
Silver Star 1 hour, 26 mins late
Sunset Limited 1 hour, 38 mins late
Texas Eagle 1 hour, 42 mins late
Auto Train 1 hour, 57 mins late
Southwest Chief 2 hours, 22 mins late
Coast Starlight 2 hours, 29 mins late
Empire Builder 2 hours, 36 mins late
California Zephyr 4 hours, 6 mins late
* First three months of 2023