Amtrak's Long-Distance Train Performance
January 2020
For the month of January 2020, the Bull Sheet has calculated that 58 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 43 percent.]
The average arrival of all long-distance trains in the survey period was 30 minutes late. [In the same month last year the average was 44 minutes late.]
The average arrival of the trains that were behind schedule was one hour and 10 minutes late. [In the same month last year it was one hour and 18 minutes late.]
The train with the best on-time performance in January 2020 was City of New Orleans (95 percent), and the train with the worst on-time performance was Crescent (4 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 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 2020 was as follows:
Date
Pct on-time arrival
Overall avg arrival
Avg arrival if late
Wednesday, January 1 78 %
34 mins late
2 hours, 33 mins late
Thursday, January 2 53 %
51 mins late
1 hour, 49 mins late
Friday, January 3 46 %
40 mins late
1 hour, 14 mins late
Saturday, January 4 52 %
1 hour, 3 mins late
2 hours, 10 mins late
Sunday, January 5 47 %
50 mins late
1 hour, 34 mins late
Monday, January 6 54 %
1 hour, 17 mins late
2 hours, 49 mins late
Tuesday, January 7 59 %
19 mins late
46 mins late
Wednesday, January 8 44 %
34 mins late
1 hour, 1 min late
Thursday, January 9 51 %
23 mins late
47 mins late
Friday, January 10 59 %
25 mins late
1 hour, 2 mins late
Saturday, January 11 41 %
46 mins late
1 hour, 19 mins late
Sunday, January 12 56 %
52 mins late
1 hour, 58 mins late
Monday, January 13 68 %
15 mins late
45 mins late
Tuesday, January 14 66 %
15 mins late
44 mins late
Wednesday, January 15 58 %
20 mins late
47 mins late
Thursday, January 16 52 %
21 mins late
44 mins late
Friday, January 17 47 %
24 mins late
45 mins late
Saturday, January 18 53 %
43 mins late
1 hour, 32 mins late
Sunday, January 19 63 %
16 mins late
43 mins late
Monday, January 20 50 %
24 mins late
49 mins late
Tuesday, January 21 67 %
7 mins late
20 mins late
Wednesday, January 22 62 %
34 mins late
1 hour, 30 mins late
Thursday, January 23 63 %
8 mins late
20 mins late
Friday, January 24 58 %
28 mins late
1 hour, 6 mins late
Saturday, January 25 66 %
35 mins late
1 hour, 42 mins late
Sunday, January 26 67 %
14 mins late
42 mins late
Monday, January 27 54 %
17 mins late
36 mins late
Tuesday, January 28 76 %
13 mins late
54 mins late
Wednesday, January 29 62 %
9 mins late
27 mins late
Thursday, January 30 70 %
13 mins late
41 mins late
Friday, January 31 53 %
41 mins late
1 hour, 27 mins late
Composite for Month 58 %
30 mins late
1 hour, 10 mins late
Month of January - Previous Five-Years' 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 2020 Train-by-Train Performance . . .
Train
Pct on-time arrival
Overall avg arrival
Avg arrival if late
Auto Train 71 %
29 mins late
1 hour, 40 mins late
California Zephyr 63 %
41 mins late
1 hour, 50 mins late
Capitol Limited 34 %
33 mins late
50 mins late
Cardinal 63 %
20 mins late
53 mins late
Carolinian 68 %
7 mins late
21 mins late
City of New Orleans 95 %
3 mins late
53 mins late
Coast Starlight 60 %
25 mins late
1 hour, 4 mins late
Crescent 4 %
1 hour, 28 mins late
1 hour, 32 mins late
Empire Builder 60 %
1 hour, 22 mins late
3 hours, 23 mins late
Lake Shore Limited 47 %
14 mins late
26 mins late
Maple Leaf 80 %
3 mins late
16 mins late
Palmetto 42 %
14 mins late
25 mins late
Silver Meteor 74 %
13 mins late
49 mins late
Silver Star 63 %
16 mins late
43 mins late
Southwest Chief 74 %
27 mins late
1 hour, 45 mins late
Sunset Limited 33 %
1 hour, 47 mins late
2 hours, 40 mins late
Texas Eagle 30 %
1 hour, 1 min late
1 hour, 27 mins late
Vermonter 61 %
3 mins late
8 mins late
Composite for Month 58 %
30 mins late
1 hour, 10 mins late
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