Amtrak's Long-Distance Train Performance
September 2016
For the month of September 2016, the Bull Sheet has calculated that 38 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 41 minutes late.
The average arrival of the 62 percent of 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 other arrivals that are late.
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 September 2016 was as follows:
Train
Pct on-time arrival
Overall avg arrival
Avg arrival if late
Auto Train 59 %
33 mins late
1 hour, 22 mins late
California Zephyr 58 %
22 mins late
54 mins late
Capitol Limited 23 %
41 mins late
53 mins late
Cardinal 27 %
1 hour, 24 mins late
1 hour, 55 mins late
Carolinian 31 %
43 mins late
1 hour, 2 mins late
City of New Orleans 47 %
45 mins late
1 hour, 24 mins late
Coast Starlight 64 %
52 mins late
2 hours, 26 mins late
Crescent 37 %
37 mins late
58 mins late
Empire Builder 68 %
20 mins late
1 hour, 3 mins late
Lake Shore Limited 18 %
49 mins late
59 mins late
Maple Leaf 23 %
21 mins late
28 mins late
Palmetto 15 %
53 mins late
1 hour, 3 mins late
Silver Meteor 27 %
58 mins late
1 hour, 20 mins late
Silver Star 19 %
57 mins late
1 hour, 10 mins late
Southwest Chief 33 %
50 mins late
1 hour, 15 mins late
Sunset Limited 73 %
16 mins late
59 mins late
Texas Eagle 45 %
54 mins late
1 hour, 38 mins late
Vermonter 15 %
22 mins late
25 mins late
RECAP . . . . .
Recap 9 months
Pct on-time arrival
Overall avg arrival
Avg arrival if late
JANUARY 2016 55 %
31 mins late
1 hour, 8 mins late
FEBRUARY 2016 50 %
34 mins late
1 hour, 7 mins late
MARCH 2016 44 %
40 mins late
1 hour, 12 mins late
APRIL 2016 44 %
36 mins late
1 hour, 4 mins late
MAY 2016 41 %
38 mins late
1 hour, 6 mins late
JUNE 2016 29 %
1 hour, 2 mins late
1 hour, 26 mins late
JULY 2016 30 %
59 mins late
1 hour, 24 mins late
AUGUST 2016 33 %
48 mins late
1 hour, 12 mins late
SEPTEMBER 2016 38 %
41 mins late
1 hour, 6 mins late