Amtrak's Long-Distance Train Performance
May 2023
Forty-three percent of Amtrak's named long-distance trains arrived at their final destination on time or earlier in May 2023.
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.
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 31 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 May 2023 was as follows:
Date
Pct on-time arrival
Overall avg arrival
Avg arrival if late
Monday, May 1 42 %
43 mins late
1 hour, 13 mins late
Tuesday, May 2 46 %
36 mins late
1 hour, 7 mins late
Wednesday, May 3 33 %
48 mins late
1 hour, 12 mins late
Thursday, May 4 43 %
1 hour late
1 hour, 44 mins late
Friday, May 5 35 %
47 mins late
1 hour, 10 mins late
Saturday, May 6 43 %
46 mins late
1 hour, 20 mins late
Sunday, May 7 42 %
1 hour, 28 mins late
2 hours, 31 mins late
Monday, May 8 59 %
48 mins late
1 hour, 57 mins late
Tuesday, May 9 48 %
55 mins late
1 hour, 47 mins late
Wednesday, May 10 33 %
48 mins late
1 hour, 13 mins late
Thursday, May 11 34 %
56 mins late
1 hour, 25 mins late
Friday, May 12 14 %
1 hour, 47 mins late
2 hours, 4 mins late
Saturday, May 13 49 %
26 mins late
51 mins late
Sunday, May 14 53 %
1 hour, 36 mins late
3 hours, 24 mins late
Monday, May 15 47 %
46 mins late
1 hour, 27 mins late
Tuesday, May 16 40 %
30 mins late
51 mins late
Wednesday, May 17 35 %
1 hour, 4 mins late
1 hour, 39 mins late
Thursday, May 18 49 %
1 hour, 15 mins late
2 hours, 25 mins late
Friday, May 19 33 %
1 hour, 10 mins late
1 hour, 45 mins late
Saturday, May 20 34 %
1 hour, 4 mins late
1 hour, 38 mins late
Sunday, May 21 53 %
27 mins late
56 mins late
Monday, May 22 36 %
1 hour, 7 mins late
1 hour, 45 mins late
Tuesday, May 23 40 %
37 mins late
1 hour, 2 mins late
Wednesday, May 24 50 %
33 mins late
1 hour, 7 mins late
Thursday, May 25 40 %
35 mins late
59 mins late
Friday, May 26 43 %
22 mins late
39 mins late
Saturday, May 27 66 %
19 mins late
56 mins late
Sunday, May 28 56 %
33 mins late
1 hour, 15 mins late
Monday, May 29 57 %
30 mins late
1 hour, 10 mins late
Tuesday, May 30 37 %
31 mins late
49 mins late
Wednesday, May 31 40 %
45 mins late
1 hour, 14 mins late
Average for month 43 %
50 mins late
1 hour, 26 mins late
Eight-year comparison for May . . .
8-year comparison
Pct on-time arrival
Overall avg arrival
Avg arrival if late
May 2016 41 %
38 mins late
1 hour, 6 mins late
May 2017 28 %
1 hour, 6 mins late
1 hour, 31 mins late
May 2018 26 %
1 hour, 7 mins late
1 hour, 30 mins late
May 2019 27 %
1 hour, 8 mins late
1 hour, 33 mins late
May 2020 65 %
25 mins late
1 hour, 11 mins late
May 2021 32 %
1 hour, 12 mins late
1 hour, 46 mins late
May 2022 27 %
1 hour, 16 mins late
1 hour, 43 mins late
May 2023 43 %
50 mins late
1 hour, 26 mins late
8--year average 36 %
58 mins late
1 hour, 28 mins late
May 2023 Train-by-Train Performance . . .
Train
Pct on-time arrival
Overall avg arrival
Avg arrival if late
Auto Train 48 %
44 mins late
1 hour, 24 mins late
California Zephyr 10 %
3 hours, 14 mins late
3 hours, 36 mins late
Capitol Limited 73 %
11 mins late
40 mins late
Cardinal 38 %
51 mins late
1 hour, 23 mins late
Carolinian 27 %
30 mins late
41 mins late
City of New Orleans 89 %
28 mins late
4 hours, 10 mins late
Coast Starlight 59 %
23 mins late
56 mins late
Crescent 19 %
1 hour, 5 mins late
1 hour, 21 mins late
Empire Builder 28 %
1 hour, 36 mins late
2 hours, 13 mins late
Lake Shore Limited 51 %
16 mins late
32 mins late
Maple Leaf 34 %
21 mins late
31 mins late
Palmetto 32 %
33 mins late
48 mins late
Silver Meteor 37 %
44 mins late
1 hour, 11 mins late
Silver Star 50 %
50 mins late
1 hour, 40 mins late
Southwest Chief 23 %
1 hour, 22 mins late
1 hour, 46 mins late
Sunset Limited 24 %
55 mins late
1 hour, 12 mins late
Texas Eagle 51 %
50 mins late
1 hour, 43 mins late
Vermonter 63 %
7 mins late
19 mins late
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Year-to-Date Standings * - Percentage On-Time Arrival
Train |
Pct on-time arrival |
| City of New Orleans | 76 % |
| Vermonter | 60 % |
| Capitol Limited | 57 % |
| Lake Shore Limited | 56 % |
| Texas Eagle | 51 % |
| Auto Train | 51 % |
| Maple Leaf | 44 % |
| Palmetto | 42 % |
| Coast Starlight | 42 % |
| Silver Meteor | 40 % |
| Carolinian | 39 % |
| Silver Star | 36 % |
| Southwest Chief | 33 % |
| Empire Builder | 33 % |
| .Sunset Limited | 33 % |
| Cardinal | 31 % |
| Crescent | 24 % |
| California Zephyr | 7 % |
Year-to-Date Standings * - Overall Average Arrival
Train |
Overall avg arrival |
| Vermonter | 10 mins late |
| Maple Leaf | 13 mins late |
| Lake Shore Limited | 16 mins late |
| Capitol Limited | 21 mins late |
| City of New Orleans | 23 mins late |
| Carolinian | 27 mins late |
| Palmetto | 27 mins late |
| Silver Meteor | 39 mins late |
| Auto Train | 48 mins late |
| Texas Eagle | 48 mins late |
| Silver Star | 55 mins late |
| Cardinal | 57 mins late |
| Sunset Limited | 1 hour, 3 mins late |
| Coast Starlight | 1 hour, 6 mins late |
| Crescent | 1 hour, 7 mins late |
| Southwest Chief | 1 hour, 27 mins late |
| Empire Builder | 1 hour, 33 mins late |
| California Zephyr | 3 hours, 25 mins late |
Year-to-Date Standings * - Average Arrival When Late
Train
Avg arrival when late
Maple Leaf 24 mins late
Vermonter 26 mins late
Lake Shore Limited 36 mins late
Carolinian 44 mins late
Palmetto 46 mins late
Capitol Limited 49 mins late
Silver Meteor 1 hour, 5 mins late
Cardinal 1 hour, 23 mins late
Silver Star 1 hour, 26 mins late
Crescent 1 hour, 28 mins late
Sunset Limited 1 hour, 33 mins late
.Auto Train 1 hour, 37 mins late
Texas Eagle 1 hour, 38 mins late
City of New Orleans 1 hour, 38 mins late
Coast Starlight 1 hour, 53 mins late
Southwest Chief 2 hours, 10 mins late
Empire Builder 2 hours, 19 mins late
California Zephyr 3 hours, 49 mins late
* First five months of 2023