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Amtrak's Long-Distance Train Performance

January 2019

For the month of January 2019, the Bull Sheet has calculated that 43 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 44 minutes late. [In the same month last year it was one hour and five mins late.]

The average arrival of the trains that were behind schedule was one hour and 18 minutes late. [In the same month last year it was one hour and 41 minutes late.]

The train with the best on-time performance in January 2019 was Auto Train (76 percent), and the train with the worst on-time performance was Crescent (0 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, terminated en route, or provided with ambiguous or unreliable data are typically excluded from the survey.

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 arrival at intermediate stations may differ.

Daily average long-distance train performance in January 2019 was as follows:

 Date

 Pct on-time arrival

 Overall avg arrival

 Avg arrival if late

 Tuesday, January 1

 47 %

 30 mins late

 56 mins late

 Wednesday, January 2

 47 %

 22 mins late

 42 mins late

 Thursday, January 3

 40 %

 49 mins late

 1 hour, 22 mins late

 Friday, January 4

 32 %

 55 mins late

 1 hour, 21 mins late

 Saturday, January 5

 49 %

 39 mins late

 1 hour, 16 mins late

 Sunday, January 6

 61 %

 34 mins late

 1 hour, 26 mins late

 Monday, January 7

 59 %

 23 mins late

 56 mins late

 Tuesday, January 8

 61 %

 18 mins late

 46 mins late

 Wednesday, January 9

 50 %

 36 mins late

 1 hour, 12 mins late

 Thursday, January 10

 58 %

 32 mins late

 1 hour, 16 mins late

 Friday, January 11

 44 %

 33 mins late

 1 hour late

 Saturday, January 12

 57 %

 22 mins late

 51 mins late

 Sunday, January 13

 26 %

 52 mins late

 1 hour, 10 mins late

 Monday, January 14

 44 %

 31 mins late

 56 mins late

 Tuesday, January 15

 45 %

 39 mins late

 1 hour, 12 mins late

 Wednesday, January 16

 47 %

 35 mins late

 1 hour, 5 mins late

 Thursday, January 17

 47 %

 20 mins late

 37 mins late

 Friday, January 18

 54 %

 47 mins late

 1 hour, 43 mins late

 Saturday, January 19

 38 %

 46 mins late

 1 hour, 14 mins late

 Sunday, January 20

 36 %

 1 hour 22 mins late

 2 hours, 9 mins late

 Monday, January 21

 24 %

 1 hour, 31 mins late

 2 hours late

 Tuesday, January 22

 30 %

 1 hour, 50 mins late

 2 hours, 37 mins late

 Wednesday, January 23

 32 %

 43 mins late

 1 hour, 3 mins late

 Thursday, January 24

 45 %

 30 mins late

 54 mins late

 Friday, January 25

 39 %

 46 mins late

 1 hour, 15 mins late

 Saturday, January 26

 46 %

 39 mins late

 1 hour, 12 mins late

 Sunday, January 27

 49 %

 28 mins late

 55 mins late

 Monday, January 28

 34 %

 55 mins late

 1 hour, 23 mins late

 Tuesday, January 29

 31 %

 50 mins late

 1 hour, 13 mins late

 Wednesday, January 30

 21 %

 1 hour, 21 mins late

 1 hour, 43 mins late

 Thursday, January 31

 20 %

 1 hour, 51 mins late

 2 hours, 18 mins late

 Composite for January

 43 %

 44 mins late

 1 hour, 18 mins late

Month of January - Five Year Comparison

 Month

 Pct on-time arrival

 Overall avg arrival

 Avg arrival if late

 January 2019

 43 %

 44 mins late

 1 hour, 18 mins late

 January 2018

 35 %

 1 hour, 5 mins late

 1 hour, 41 mins late

 January 2017

 39 %

 59 mins late

 1 hour, 37 mins late

 January 2016

 55 %

 31 mins late

 1 hour, 8 mins late

 January 2015

 52 %

 37 mins late

 1 hour, 18 mins late

January 2019 Train-by-Train Performance

 Train

 Pct on-time arrival

 Overall avg arrival

 Avg arrival if late

 Auto Train

 76 %

 16 mins late

 1 hour, 7 mins late

 California Zephyr

 28 %

 2 hours, 10 mins late

 3 hours, 1 min late

 Capitol Limited

 21 %

 1 hour, 10 mins late

 1 hour, 29 mins late

 Cardinal

 62 %

 7 mins late

 17 mins late

 Carolinian

 30 %

 33 mins late

 47 mins late

 City of New Orleans

 75 %

 13 mins late

 52 mins late

 Coast Starlight

 29 %

 1 hour, 13 mins late

 1 hour, 42 mins late

 Crescent

  0 %

 2 hours, 17 mins late

 2 hours, 17 mins late

 Empire Builder

 61 %

 20 mins late

 51 mins late

 Lake Shore Limited

 36 %

 42 mins late

 1 hour, 5 mins late

 Maple Leaf

 62 %

 13 mins late

 35 mins late

 Palmetto

 30 %

 25 mins late

 36 mins late

 Silver Meteor

 53 %

 20 mins late

 42 mins late

 Silver Star

 25 %

 1 hour, 9 mins late

 1 hour, 31 mins late

 Southwest Chief

 52 %

 40 mins late

 1 hour, 23 mins late

 Sunset Limited

 18 %

 1 hour, 53 mins late

 2 hours, 18 mins late

 Texas Eagle

 29 %

 39 mins late

 54 mins late

 Vermonter

 53 %

 20 mins late

 43 mins late

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