Amtrak's Long-Distance Train Performance
April 2023
Thirty-nine percent of Amtrak's named long-distance trains arrived at their final destination on time or earlier in April 2023.
The average arrival of all long-distance trains in the survey period was 49 minutes late.
The average arrival of just those trains that were behind schedule was one hour and 20 minutes late.
YEAR-TO-DATE: 43 percent of long-distance trains arrived on time or earlier.
YEAR-TO-DATE: Average arrival of long-distance trains was 52 minutes late.
YEAR-TO-DATE: Average arrival of those trains arriving behind schedule was one hour and 33 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 April 2023 was as follows:
Date
Pct on-time arrival
Overall avg arrival
Avg arrival if late
Saturday, April 1 12 %
2 hours, 9 mins late
2 hours, 27 mins late
Sunday, April 2 33 %
54 mins late
1 hour, 21 mins late
Monday, April 3 36 %
38 mins late
1 hour, 1 min late
Tuesday, April 4 44 %
1 hour, 22 mins late
2 hours, 27 mins late
Wednesday, April 5 23 %
1 hour, 23 mins late
1 hour, 48 mins late
Thursday, April 6 32 %
37 mins late
54 mins late
Friday, April 7 24 %
40 mins late
53 mins late
Saturday, April 8 53 %
23 mins late
48 mins late
Easter 49 %
31 mins late
1 hour, 1 min late
Monday, April 10 53 %
22 mins late
46 mins late
Tuesday, April 11 38 %
56 mins late
1 hour, 30 mins late
Wednesday, April 12 38 %
40 mins late
1 hour, 4 mins late
Thursday, April 13 29 %
1 hour, 20 mins late
1 hour, 53 mins late
Friday, April 14 32 %
1 hour, 19 mins late
1 hour, 56 mins late
Saturday, April 15 46 %
50 mins late
1 hour, 33 mins late
Sunday, April 16 33 %
47 mins late
1 hour, 11 mins late
Monday, April 17 56 %
28 mins late
1 hour, 3 mins late
Tuesday, April 18 40 %
49 mins late
1 hour, 22 mins late
Wednesday, April 19 44 %
30 mins late
54 mins late
Thursday, April 20 38 %
52 mins late
1 hour, 25 mins late
Friday, April 21 22 %
59 mins late
1 hour, 15 mins late
Saturday, April 22 42 %
52 mins late
1 hour, 30 mins late
Sunday, April 23 50 %
26 mins late
53 mins late
Monday, April 24 42 %
39 mins late
1 hour, 8 mins late
Tuesday, April 25 60 %
21 mins late
51 mins late
Wednesday, April 26 50 %
48 mins late
1 hour, 36 mins late
Thursday, April 27 29 %
38 mins late
54 mins late
Friday, April 28 32 %
54 mins late
1 hour, 20 mins late
Saturday, April 29 37 %
49 mins late
1 hour, 18 mins late
Sunday, April 30 53 %
35 mins late
1 hour, 14 mins late
. .
.
.
Average for month 39 %
49 mins late
1 hour, 20 mins late
Eight-year comparison for April . . .
8-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 2023 39 %
49 mins late
1 hour, 20 mins late
8--year average 40 %
45 mins late
1 hour, 15 mins late
April 2023 Train-by-Train Performance . . .
Train
Pct on-time arrival
Overall avg arrival
Avg arrival if late
Auto Train 53 %
23 mins late
49 mins late
California Zephyr 9 %
3 hours, 1 min late
3 hours, 18 mins late
Capitol Limited 48 %
14 mins late
27 mins late
Cardinal 27 %
1 hour, 9 mins late
1 hour, 35 mins late
Carolinian 30 %
31 mins late
44 mins late
City of New Orleans 70 %
39 mins late
2 hours, 9 mins late
Coast Starlight 48 %
35 mins late
1 hour, 8 mins late
Crescent 12 %
1 hour, 44 mins late
1 hour, 57 mins late
Empire Builder 48 %
42 mins late
1 hour, 21 mins late
Lake Shore Limited 51 %
22 mins late
45 mins late
Maple Leaf 34 %
20 mins late
30 mins late
Palmetto 27 %
35 mins late
48 mins late
Silver Meteor 30 %
42 mins late
1 hour late
Silver Star 33 %
50 mins late
1 hour, 15 mins late
Southwest Chief 26 %
1 hour, 34 mins late
2 hours, 6 mins late
Sunset Limited 28 %
1 hour, 12 mins late
1 hour, 40 mins late
Texas Eagle 47 %
42 mins late
1 hour, 20 mins late
Vermonter 58 %
13 mins late
30 mins late
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Year-to-Date Standings * - Percentage On-Time Arrival
Train |
Pct on-time arrival |
| City of New Orleans | 73 % |
| Vermonter | 59 % |
| Lake Shore Limited | 58 % |
| Capitol Limited | 53 % |
| Auto Train | 52 % |
| Texas Eagle | 51 % |
| Maple Leaf | 47 % |
| Palmetto | 45 % |
| Carolinian | 43 % |
| Silver Meteor | 40 % |
| Southwest Chief | 36 % |
| Coast Starlight | 35 % |
| Sunset Limited | 35 % |
| Empire Builder | 34 % |
| .Silver Star | 33 % |
| Cardinal | 29 % |
| Crescent | 26 % |
| California Zephyr | 7 % |
Year-to-Date Standings * - Overall Average Arrival
Train |
Overall avg arrival |
| Vermonter | 11 mins late |
| Maple Leaf | 11 mins late |
| Lake Shore Limited | 16 mins late |
| City of New Orleans | 22 mins late |
| Capitol Limited | 24 mins late |
| Palmetto | 25 mins late |
| Carolinian | 26 mins late |
| Silver Meteor | 38 mins late |
| Texas Eagle | 47 mins late |
| Auto Train | 49 mins late |
| Silver Star | 56 mins late |
| Cardinal | 59 mins late |
| Sunset Limited | 1 hour, 5 mins late |
| Crescent | 1 hour, 8 mins late |
| Coast Starlight | 1 hour, 21 mins late |
| Southwest Chief | 1 hour, 28 mins late |
| Empire Builder | 1 hour, 33 mins late |
| California Zephyr | 3 hours, 38 mins late |
Year-to-Date Standings * - Average Arrival When Late
Train
Avg arrival when late
Maple Leaf 21 mins late
Vermonter 27 mins late
Lake Shore Limited 38 mins late
Carolinian 45 mins late
Palmetto 45 mins late
Capitol Limited 51 mins late
Silver Meteor 1 hour, 3 mins late
City of New Orleans 1 hour, 21 mins late
Cardinal 1 hour, 22 mins late
Silver Star 1 hour, 23 mins late
Crescent 1 hour, 31 mins late
Texas Eagle 1 hour, 36 mins late
Sunset Limited 1 hour, 39 mins late
Auto Train 1 hour, 40 mins late
Coast Starlight 2 hours, 6 mins late
Southwest Chief 2 hours, 17 mins late
Empire Builder 2 hours, 20 mins late
California Zephyr 3 hours, 53 mins late
* First four months of 2023