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Amtrak Long-Distance Trains

Performance for March 2018

Thirty-nine percent of Amtrak's named long-distance trains arrived at their final destination on time or earlier in March 2018. The remaining 61 percent, on average, arrived one hour and 32 minutes late.

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Performance of Individual Trains . . . .

Auto Train

• On-time arrival at final destination: 62 % . (March 2017 was 19%)
• Average arrival, all trains: 53 mins late . . (March 2017 was 1 hour, 11 mins late)
• Average arrival, trains arriving late: 2 hours, 20 mins late .(March 2017 was 1 hour, 28 mins late)

California Zephyr

• On-time arrival at final destination: 42 % .(March 2017 was 24%)
• Average arrival, all trains: 1 hour, 2 mins late . . (March 2017 was 1 hour, 25 mins late)
• Average arrival, trains arriving late: 1 hour, 46 mins late .(March 2017 was 1 hour, 52 mins late)

Capitol Limited

• On-time arrival at final destination: 27 % .(March 2017 was 12%)
• Average arrival, all trains: 1 hour late . . (March 2017 was 58 mins late)
• Average arrival, trains arriving late: 1 hour, 22 mins late .(March 2017 was 1 hour, 6 mins late)

Cardinal

• On-time arrival at final destination: 30 % . (March 2017 was 44%)
• Average arrival, all trains: 48 mins late . .(March 2017 was 1 hour, 12 mins late)
• Average arrival, trains arriving late: 1 hour, 10 mins late .(March 2017 was 2 hours, 10 mins late)

Carolinian

• On-time arrival at final destination: 29 % .(March 2017 was 18%)
• Average arrival, all trains: 49 mins late . . (March was 58 mins late)
• Average arrival, trains arriving late: 1 hour, 9 mins late .(March 2017 was 1 hour, 10 mins late)

City of New Orleans

• On-time arrival at final destination: 31 % .(March 2017 was 31%)
• Average arrival, all trains: 1 hour, 12 mins late . . (March 2017 was 44 mins late)
• Average arrival, trains arriving late: 1 hour, 44 mins late .(March 2017 was 1 hour, 3 mins late)

Coast Starlight

• On-time arrival at final destination: 70 % .(March 2017 was 38%)
• Average arrival, all trains: 35 mins late . . (March 2017 was 40 mins late)
• Average arrival, trains arriving late: 2 hours late .(March 2017 was 1 hour, 5 mins late)

Crescent

• On-time arrival at final destination: 2 % . . (March 2017 was 26%)
• Average arrival, all trains: 2 hours, 31 mins late .(March 2017 was 47 mins late)
• Average arrival, trains arriving late: 2 hours, 35 mins late .(March 2017 was 1 hour, 4 mins late)

Empire Builder

• On-time arrival at final destination: 59 % . (March 2017 was 18%)
• Average arrival, all trains: 39 mins late . . (March 2017 was 3 hours, 13 mins late)
• Average arrival, trains arriving late: 1 hour, 36 mins late .(March 2017 was 3 hours, 56 mins late)

Lake Shore Limited

• On-time arrival at final destination: 30 % . . (March 2017 was 17%)
• Average arrival, all trains: 59 mins late .(March 2017 was 1 hour, 7 mins late)
• Average arrival, trains arriving late: 1 hour, 24 mins late .(March 2017 was 1 hour, 20 mins late)

Maple Leaf

• On-time arrival at final destination: 65 % .(March 2017 was 51%)
• Average arrival, all trains: 9 mins late . . (March 2017 was 31 mins late)
• Average arrival, trains arriving late: 27 mins late .(March 2017 was 1 hour, 2 mins late)

Palmetto

• On-time arrival at final destination: 19 % .(March 2017 was 15%)
• Average arrival, all trains: 59 mins late . . (March 2017 was 1 hour, 3 mins late)
• Average arrival, trains arriving late: 1 hour, 13 mins late .(March 2017 was 1 hour, 14 mins late)

Silver Meteor

• On-time arrival at final destination: 42 % . (March 2017 was 18%)
• Average arrival, all trains: 59 mins late . (March 2017 was 1 hour, 34 mins late)
• Average arrival, trains arriving late: 1 hour, 42 mins late .(March 2017 was 1 hour, 55 mins late)

Silver Star

• On-time arrival at final destination: 7 % . (March 2017 was 10%)
• Average arrival, all trains: 1 hour, 58 mins late .(March 2017 was 1 hour, 31 mins late)
• Average arrival, trains arriving late: 2 hours, 7 mins late .(March 2017 was 1 hour, 40 mins late)

Southwest Chief

• On-time arrival at final destination: 57 % .(March 2017 was 26%)
• Average arrival, all trains: 31 mins late . . (March 2017 was 1 hour, 27 mins late)
• Average arrival, trains arriving late: 1 hour, 12 mins late .(March 2017 was 1 hour, 58 mins late)

Sunset Limited

• On-time arrival at final destination: 50 % .(March 2017 was 52%)
• Average arrival, all trains: 1 hour, 6 mins late . . (March 2017 was 20 mins late)
• Average arrival, trains arriving late: 2 hours, 12 mins late .(March 2017 was 42 mins late)

Texas Eagle

• On-time arrival at final destination: 30 % .(March 2017 was 42%)
• Average arrival, all trains: 52 mins late . . (March 2017 was 26 mins late)
• Average arrival, trains arriving late: 1 hour, 14 mins late .(March 2017 was 44 mins late)

Vermonter

• On-time arrival at final destination: 29 % .(March 2017 was 46%)
• Average arrival, all trains: 21 mins late . / (March 2017 was 7 mins late)
• Average arrival, trains arriving late: 29 mins late..(March 2017 was 14 mins late)

 

COMPOSITE - (Long-DistanceTrains, March 2018)

• On-time arrival at final destination: 39 % .(March 2017 was 26%)
• Average arrival, all trains: 57 mins late . . (March 2017 was 1 hour, 9 mins late)
• Average arrival, trains arriving late: 1 hour, 32 mins late .(March 2017 was 1 hour, 33 mins late)

4-Year Comparison	Pct on-time arrival	Overall avg arrival	Avg arrival if late
March 2015	34 %	1 hour late	1 hour, 30 mins late
March 2016	44 %	40 mins late	1 hour, 12 mins late
March 2017	26 %	1 hour, 9 mins late	1 hour, 33 mins late
March 2018	39 %	57 mins late	1 hour, 32 mins late

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ABOUT THESE REPORTS:

The Bull Sheet calculates arrival performance at final destination of Amtrak's named long-distance trains. The data are based upon the reported arrival times of each of the affected trains, and there is no grace allowance for minimal lateness. If a train arrives at its final terminal behind schedule, even by a minute, it is considered 'late.' The Bull Sheet considers that long-distance trains have sufficient padding in their schedule to offset typical en route delays, and it is not necessary to apply a grace allowance on top of that padding to bolster on time reporting. Accordingly, these reports offer a more realistic analysis than what is reported by Amtrak. (Trains that are truncated, annulled, terminated en route, reported as 'service disrupted,' or furnished with incomplete or ambiguous data are routinely excluded from the survey.)

 

 

 

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