Amtrak's Long-Distance Train Performance
September 2023
Forty-four percent of Amtrak's named long-distance trains arrived at their final destination on time or earlier in September 2023.
The average arrival of all long-distance trains in the survey period was 42 minutes late.
The average arrival of just those trains that were behind schedule was one hour and 13 minutes late.
YEAR-TO-DATE: 40 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 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 likely differ.
Average daily long-distance train performance in September 2023 was as follows:
Date
Pct on-time arrival
Overall avg arrival
Avg arrival if late
Friday, September 1 32 %
1 hour, 4 mins late
1 hour, 35 mins late
Saturday, September 2 38 %
36 mins late
58 mins late
Sunday, September 3 51 %
22 mins late
45 mins late
Monday, September 4 46 %
36 mins late
1 hour, 6 mins late
Tuesday, September 5 37 %
1 hour, 19 mins late
2 hours, 5 mins late
Wednesday, September 6 17 %
1 hour, 13 mins late
1 hour, 34 mins late
Thursday, September 7 31 %
40 mins late
59 mins late
Friday, September 8 40 %
37 mins late
1 hour, 2 mins late
Saturday, September 9 52 %
32 mins late
1 hour, 6 mins late
Sunday, September 10 68 %
37 mins late
1 hour, 55 mins late
Monday, September 11 36 %
53 mins late
1 hour, 23 mins late
Tuesday, September 12 34 %
43 mins late
1 hour, 5 mins late
Wednesday, September 13 53 %
40 mins late
1 hour, 25 mins late
Thursday, September 14 46 %
34 mins late
1 hour, 3 mins late
Friday, September 15 27 %
37 mins late
50 mins late
Saturday, September 16 38 %
39 mins late
1 hour, 3 mins late
Sunday, September 17 50 %
23 mins late
46 mins late
Monday, September 18 53 %
21 mins late
46 mins late
Tuesday, September 19 51 %
50 mins late
1 hour, 43 mins late
Wednesday, September 20 58 %
39 mins late
1 hour, 34 mins late
Thursday, September 21 45 %
27 mins late
49 mins late
Friday, September 22 32 %
1 hour, 11 mins late
1 hour, 45 mins late
Saturday, September 23 49 %
36 mins late
1 hour, 10 mins late
Sunday, September 24 56 %
26 mins late
58 mins late
Monday, September 25 39 %
34 mins late
55 mins late
Tuesday, September 26 54 %
37 mins late
1 hour, 22 mins late
Wednesday, September 27 50 %
40 mins late
1 hour, 21 mins late
Thursday, September 28 54 %
23 mins late
51 mins late
Friday, September 29 49 %
42 mins late
1 hour, 23 mins late
Saturday, September 30 36 %
1 hour, 19 mins late
2 hours, 3 mins late
. .
.
.
Average for month 44 %
42 mins late
1 hour, 13 mins late
Eight-year comparison for September . . .
8-year comparison
Pct on-time arrival
Overall avg arrival
Avg arrival if late
September 2016 38 %
41 mins late
1 hour, 6 mins late
September 2017 34 %
49 mins late
1 hour, 14 mins late
September 2018 29 %
1 hour, 6 mins late
1 hour, 33 mins late
September 2019 36 %
49 mins late
1 hour, 16 mins late
September 2020 52 %
32 mins late
1 hour, 6 mins late
September 2021 43 %
38 mins late
1 hour, 6 mins late
September 2022 38 %
52 mins late
1 hour, 24 mins late
September 2023 44 %
42 mins late
1 hour, 13 mins late
8--year average 39 %
46 mins late
1 hour, 15 mins late
September 2023 Train-by-Train Performance . . .
Train
Pct on-time arrival
Overall avg arrival
Avg arrival if late
Auto Train 75 %
13 mins late
52 mins late
California Zephyr 37 %
1 hour, 10 mins late
1 hour, 51 mins late
Capitol Limited 55 %
22 mins late
49 mins late
Cardinal 35 %
32 mins late
49 mins late
Carolinian 33 %
22 mins late
34 mins late
City of New Orleans 80 %
12 mins late
1 hour, 1 mins late
Coast Starlight 59 %
35 mins late
1 hour, 26 mins late
Crescent 42 %
37 mins late
1 hour, 4 mins late
Empire Builder 57 %
31 mins late
1 hour, 13 mins late
Lake Shore Limited 39 %
29 mins late
47 mins late
Maple Leaf 36 %
31 mins late
48 mins late
Palmetto 43 %
20 mins late
27 mins late
Silver Meteor 36 %
26 mins late
41 mins late
Silver Star 50 %
56 mins late
1 hour, 53 mins late
Southwest Chief 29 %
1 hour, 55 mins late
2 hours, 41 mins late
Sunset Limited 33 %
2 hours, 5 mins late
3 hours, 8 mins late
Texas Eagle 33 %
53 mins late
1 hour, 20 mins late
Vermonter 2 %
1 hour, 23 mins late
1 hour, 25 mins late
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