Amtrak's Long-Distance Train Performance
May 2016
For the month of May 2016, the Bull Sheet has calculated that 41 percent of Amtrak's named long-distance trains arrived at their final destination on time or earlier.
The average arrival of all long-distance trains in the survey period was 38 minutes late.
The average arrival of only those trains that arrived behind schedule was one hour and six 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 nominally late.
Trains arriving ahead of schedule are shown 'on time,' with no extra credit given to offset late arrivals in other instances.
This survey was compiled by the Bull Sheet's statistical department comprehending actual performance as reported for each affected train on Amtrak's website.
Individual train performance over the course of the month of May 2016 was as follows:
Train
Pct on-time arrival
Overall avg arrival
Avg arrival if late
Auto Train 24 %
47 mins late
1 hour, 2 mins late
California Zephyr 73 %
18 mins late
1 hour, 6 mins late
Capitol Limited 18 %
53 mins late
1 hour, 5 mins late
Cardinal 42 %
49 mins late
1 hour, 25 mins late
Carolinian 25 %
32 mins late
42 mins late
City of New Orleans 68 %
17 mins late
53 mins late
Coast Starlight 71 %
20 mins late
1 hour, 9 mins late
Crescent 35 %
29 mins late
46 mins late
Empire Builder 87 %
6 mins late
50 mins late
Lake Shore Limited 10 %
1 hour, 7 mins late
1 hour, 14 mins late
Maple Leaf 31 %
29 mins late
42 mins late
Palmetto 18 %
30 mins late
37 mins late
Silver Meteor 31 %
46 mins late
1 hour, 7 mins late
Silver Star 39 %
41 mins late
1 hour, 7 mins late
Southwest Chief 63 %
44 mins late
2 hours late
Sunset Limited 59 %
1 hour, 5 mins late
2 hours, 40 mins late
Texas Eagle 33 %
1 hour, 29 mins late
2 hours, 12 mins late
Vermonter 23 %
34 mins late
43 mins late