Amtrak's Long-Distance Train Performance
December 2018
For the month of December 2018, the Bull Sheet has calculated that 37 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 35 percent.]
The average arrival of all long-distance trains in the survey period was 59 minutes late. [In the same month last year it was one hour 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 32 minutes late.]
The train with the best on-time performance in December was Auto Train (73 percent), and the train with the worst on-time performance was Crescent (5 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 the Bull Sheet 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 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 December 2018 was as follows:
Train
Pct on-time arrival
Overall avg arrival
Avg arrival if late
Auto Train 73 %
20 mins late
1 hour, 14 mins late
California Zephyr 62 %
27 mins late
1 hour, 11 mins late
Capitol Limited 15 %
1 hour, 28 mins late
1 hour, 43 mins late
Cardinal 28 %
41 mins late
57 mins late
Carolinian 18 %
48 mins late
59 mins late
City of New Orleans 61 %
25 mins late
1 hour, 5 mins late
Coast Starlight 41 %
58 mins late
1 hour, 39 mins late
Crescent 5 %
4 hours, 6 mins late
4 hours, 20 mins late
Empire Builder 56 %
23 mins late
53 mins late
Lake Shore Limited 18 %
1 hour, 13 mins late
1 hour, 29 mins late
Maple Leaf 71 %
6 mins late
22 mins late
Palmetto 28 %
37 mins late
52 mins late
Silver Meteor 13 %
1 hour, 6 mins late
1 hour, 16 mins late
Silver Star 7 %
1 hour, 55 mins late
2 hours, 3 mins late
Southwest Chief 42 %
1 hour late
1 hour, 43 mins late
Sunset Limited 22 %
1 hour, 28 mins late
1 hour, 54 mins late
Texas Eagle 28 %
58 mins late
1 hour, 21 mins late
Vermonter 55 %
8 mins late
18 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
October 2018 34 %
49 mins late
1 hour, 15 mins late
November 2018 32 %
1 hour, 14 mins late
1 hour, 48 mins late
December 2018 37 %
59 mins late
1 hour, 33 mins late
Full year 2018 31 %
1 hour, 7 mins late
1 hour, 36 mins late