Amtrak's Long-Distance Train Performance
September 2018
For the month of September 2018, the Bull Sheet has calculated that 29 percent of Amtrak's named long-distance trains arrived at their final destination on time or earlier. [In the same month last year it was 34 percent.]
The average arrival of all long-distance trains in the survey period was one hour and six minutes late. [In the same month last year it was 49 minutes late.]
The average arrival of the trains that were behind schedule was one hour and 33 minutes late. [In the same month last year it was one hour and 14 minutes late.]
The train with the best on-time performance in September was City of New Orleans (88 percent), and the three trains with the worst on-time performance were Capitol Limited, Lake Shore Limited and Texas Eagle (each with 7 percent).
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 this survey conveys realistic parameters reflecting actual performance.
Trains arriving ahead of schedule are shown 'on time,' with no extra credit given to offset other arrivals that are late. Trains that are canceled, truncated, referred by Amtrak as 'service disrupted,' or provided with ambiguous or unreliable data are typically excluded from the analysis.
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 arrivals at intermediate stations may differ.
Individual train performance in September 2018 was as follows:
Train
Pct on-time arrival
Overall avg arrival
Avg arrival if late
Auto Train 75 %
19 mins late
1 hour, 17 mins late
California Zephyr 33 %
1 hour, 32 mins late
2 hours, 16 mins late
Capitol Limited 7 %
1 hour, 28 mins late
1 hour, 34 mins late
Cardinal 55 %
34 mins late
1 hour, 15 mins late
Carolinian 32 %
32 mins late
47 mins late
City of New Orleans 88 %
9 mins late
1 hour, 21 mins late
Coast Starlight 49 %
54 mins late
1 hour, 47 mins late
Crescent 12 %
1 hour, 49 mins late
2 hours, 3 mins late
Empire Builder 26 %
1 hour, 6 mins late
1 hour, 29 mins late
Lake Shore Limited 7 %
1 hour, 9 mins late
1 hour, 14 mins late
Maple Leaf 30 %
16 mins late
23 mins late
Palmetto 26 %
35 mins late
47 mins late
Silver Meteor 29 %
45 mins late
1 hour, 3 mins late
Silver Star 22 %
1 hour, 6 mins late
1 hour, 25 mins late
Southwest Chief 12 %
1 hour, 34 mins late
1 hour, 46 mins late
Sunset Limited 18 %
2 hours, 39 mins late
3 hours, 14 mins late
Texas Eagle 7 %
2 hours, 51 mins late
3 hours, 3 mins late
Vermonter 33 %
16 mins late
24 mins late
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Monthly performance in 2018
Monthly performance
Pct on-time arrival
Overall avg arrival
Avg arrival if late
January 2018 35 %
1 hour, 5 mins late
1 hour, 41 mins late
February 2018 37 %
55 mins late
1 hour, 27 mins late
March 2018 39 %
57 mins late
1 hour, 32 mins late
April 2018 37 %
47 mins late
1 hour, 15 mins late
May 2018 26 %
1 hour, 7 mins late
1 hour, 30 mins late
June 2018 19 %
1 hour, 27 mins late
1 hour, 47 mins late
July 2018 20 %
1 hour, 33 mins late
1 hour, 56 mins late
August 2018 21 %
1 hour, 26 mins late
1 hour, 50 mins late
September 2018 29 %
1 hour, 6 mins late
1 hour, 33 mins late
Year to date 29 %
1 hour, 9 mins late
1 hour, 38 mins late