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Amtrak Long-Distance Trains

Performance for the Year 2019

Thirty-three percent of Amtrak's named long-distance trains arrived at their final destination on time or earlier in the year 2019. The remaining trains, on average, arrived one hour and 34 minutes late.

Period performance	Pct on-time arrival	Overall avg arrival	Avg arrival if late
First Half 2019	34 %	1 hour, 7 mins late	1 hour, 41 mins late
Second Half 2019	33 %	59 mins late	1 hour, 27 mins late
Full Year 2019	33 %	1 hour, 3 mins late	1 hour, 34 mins late

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Performance of Individual Trains in 2019 . . . .

Auto Train

• On-time arrival at final destination: 53 %. . ((Same period in 2018 = 60 %)
• Average arrival, all trains: 41 mins late . . .((Same period in 2018 = 40 mins late)
• Average arrival, trains arriving late: 1 hour, 26 mins late . (Same period in 2018 = 1 hour, 41 mins late)

California Zephyr

• On-time arrival at final destination: 22 % . . .((Same period in 2018 = 39 %)
• Average arrival, all trains: 2 hours, 34 mins late . . . .((Same period in 2018 = 1 hour, 10 mins late)
• Average arrival, trains arriving late: 3 hours, 17 mins late . .(Same period in 2018 = 1 hour, 55 mins late)

Capitol Limited

• On-time arrival at final destination: 18 % . . ((Same period in 2018 = 11 %)
• Average arrival, all trains: 1 hour, 8 mins late . .. ((Same period in 2018 = 1 hour, 36 mins late)
• Average arrival, trains arriving late: 1 hour, 23 mins late . (Same period in 2018 = 1 hour, 48 mins late)

Cardinal

• On-time arrival at final destination: 33 % . . ((Same period in 2018 = 36 %)
• Average arrival, all trains: 57 mins late. . .. . ((Same period in 2018 = 56 mins late)
• Average arrival, trains arriving late: 1 hour, 25 mins late .((Same period in 2018 = 1 hour, 28 mins late)

Carolinian

• On-time arrival at final destination: 37 %. . .((Same period in 2018 = 23 %)
• Average arrival, all trains: 28 mins late . . ((Same period in 2018 = 47 mins late)
• Average arrival, trains arriving late: 44 mins late . . (Same period in 2018 = 1 hour, 1 min late)

City of New Orleans

• On-time arrival at final destination: 78 %. . ( .(Same period in 2018 = 62 %)
• Average arrival, all trains: 17 mins late. . . . . . ((Same period in 2018 = 25 mins late)
• Average arrival, trains arriving late: 1 hour, 16 mins late . .(Same period in 2018 = 1 hour, 5 mins late)

Coast Starlight

• On-time arrival at final destination: 44 % . . ((Same period in 2018 = 50 %)
• Average arrival, all trains: 49 mins late. . .. .((Same period in 2018 = 46 mins late)
• Average arrival, trains arriving late: 1 hour, 28 mins late . ..(Same period in 2018 = 1 hour, 32 mins late)

Crescent

• On-time arrival at final destination: 5 % . . .((Same period in 2018 = 4 %)
• Average arrival, all trains: 1 hour, 49 mins late . . ((Same period in 2018 = 2 hours, 47 mins late)
• Average arrival, trains arriving late: 1 hour, 56 mins late . . ((Same period in 2018 = 2 hours, 53 mins late)

Empire Builder

• On-time arrival at final destination: 45 %. . (Same period in 2018 = 37 %)
• Average arrival, all trains: 1 hour, 7 mins late. . .(Same period in 2018 = 1 hour, 19 mins late)
• Average arrival, trains arriving late: 2 hours, 2 mins late .((Same period in 2018 = 2 hours, 5 mins late)

Lake Shore Limited

• On-time arrival at final destination: 26 %. . . ((Same period in 2018 = 13 %)
• Average arrival, all trains: 51 mins late. . .((Same period in 2018 = 1 hour, 22 mins late)
• Average arrival, trains arriving late: 1 hour, 9 mins late .((Same period in 2018 = 1 hour, 34 mins late)

Maple Leaf

• On-time arrival at final destination: 59 % . . (Same period in 2018 = 41 %)
• Average arrival, all trains: 13 mins late. . .((Same period in 2018 = 17 mins late)
• Average arrival, trains arriving late: 31 mins late . . ((Same period in 2018 = 28 mins late)

Palmetto

• On-time arrival at final destination: 29 %. . .((Same period in 2018 = 21 %)
• Average arrival, all trains: 36 mins late . . ((Same period in 2018 = 47 mins late)
• Average arrival, trains arriving late: 51 mins late . ((Same period in 2018 = 59 mins late)

Silver Meteor

• On-time arrival at final destination: 32 %. . . ((Same period in 2018 = 28 %)
• Average arrival, all trains: 47 mins late . . .((Same period in 2018 = 1 hour, 4 mins late)
• Average arrival, trains arriving late: 1 hour, 10 mins late .((Same period in 2018 = 1 hour, 29 mins late)

Silver Star

• On-time arrival at final destination: 17 %. .. . (Same period in 2018 = 11 %)
• Average arrival, all trains: 1 hour, 15 mins late . . ((Same period in 2018 = 1 hour, 34 mins late)
• Average arrival, trains arriving late: 1 hour, 30 mins late. . ((Same period in 2018 = 1 hour, 46 mins late)

Southwest Chief

• On-time arrival at final destination: 23 % . . ((Same period in 2018 = 33 %)
• Average arrival, all trains: 1 hour, 35 mins late . .. ((Same period in 2018 = 1 hour, 10 mins late)
• Average arrival, trains arriving late: 2 hours, 4 mins late. . ((Same period in 2018 = 1 hour, 44 mins late)

Sunset Limited

• On-time arrival at final destination: 13 %. . ((Same period in 2018 = 30 %)
• Average arrival, all trains: 2 hours, 28 mins late . . .((Same period in 2018 = 1 hour, 41 mins late)
• Average arrival, trains arriving late: 2 hours, 50 mins late . . ((Same period in 2018 = 2 hours, 25 mins late)

Texas Eagle

• On-time arrival at final destination: 19 % . . ((Same period in 2018 = 24 %)
• Average arrival, all trains: 1 hour, 32 mins late. . . .((Same period in 2018 = 1 hour, 24 mins late)
• Average arrival, trains arriving late: 1 hour, 54 mins late . (Same period in 2018 = 1 hour, 51 mins late)

Vermonter

• On-time arrival at final destination: 44 % . . ((Same period in 2018 = 30 %)
• Average arrival, all trains: 13 mins late . . .((Same period in 2018 = 24 mins late)
• Average arrival, trains arriving late: 24 mins late. . ((Same period in 2018 = 35 mins late)

 

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Comparative Overall Full-Year Performance

Annual Performance	Pct On-Time Arrival	Overall Avg Arrival	Avg Arrival if Late
2019	33 %	1 hour, 3 mins late	1 hour, 34 mins late
2018	31 %	1 hour, 7 mins late	1 hour, 36 mins late
2017	30 %	1 hour late	1 hour, 27 mins late
2016	40 %	48 mins late	1 hour, 14 mins late

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

 

Final 2019 Train Standings - Percentage On-Time Arrival

Train	Pct On Time Arrival
City of New Orleans	78 %
Maple Leaf	59 %
Auto Train	53 %
Empire Builder	45 %
Coast Starlight	44 %
Vermonter	44 %
Carolinian	37 %
Cardinal	33 %
Silver Meteor	32 %
Palmetto	29 %
Lake Shore Limited	26 %
Southwest Chief	23 %
California Zephyr	22 %
Texas Eagle	19 %
Capitol Limited	18 %
Silver Star	17 %
Sunset Limited	13 %
Crescent	5 %

Final 2019 Train Standings - Overall Average Arrival

Train	Overall Average Arrival
Maple Leaf	13 mins late
Vermonter	13 mins late
City of New Orleans	17 mins late
Carolinian	28 mins late
Palmetto	36 mins late
Auto Train	41 mins late
Silver Meteor	47 mins late
Coast Starlight	49 mins late
Lake Shore Limited	51 mins late
Cardinal	57 mins late
Empire Builder	1 hour, 7 mins late
Capitol Limited	1 hour, 8 mins late
Silver Star	1 hour, 15 mins late
Texas Eagle	1 hour, 32 mins late
Southwest Chief	1 hour, 35 mins late
Crescent	1 hour, 49 mins late
Sunset Limited	2 hours, 28 mins late
California Zephyr	2 hours, 34 mins late

Final 2019 Train Standings - Average Arrival if Late

Train	Average arrival if late
Vermonter	24 mins late
Maple Leaf	31 mins late
Carolinian	44 mins late
Palmetto	51 mins late
Lake Shore Limited	1 hour, 9 mins late
Silver Meteor	1 hour, 10 mins late
City of New Orleans	1 hour, 16 mins late
Capitol Limited	1 hour, 23 mins late
Cardinal	1 hour, 25 mins late
Auto Train	1 hour, 26 mins late
Coast Starlight	1 hour, 28 mins late
Silver Star	1 hour, 30 mins late
Texas Eagle	1 hour, 54 mins late
Crescent	1 hour, 56 mins late
Empire Builder	2 hours, 2 mins late
Southwest Chief	2 hours, 4 mins late
Sunset Limited	2 hours, 50 mins late
California Zephyr	3 hours, 17 mins late

 

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.

This survey comprehends arrival at final scheduled destination, not intermediate stations. Data for intermediate stations are typically different. No allowance is considered for trains arriving final terminal ahead of schedule; such arrivals are calculated as simply on time, and no statistical credit is given to offset other arrvals that are late. Moreover, no offsetting credit is given for trains that depart originating station behind schedule. Once again, this survey is exclusive to final destination arrival.

(Trains that are truncated, annulled, terminated en route, or reported with incomplete or ambiguous data are excluded from the survey.)

 

 

 

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