Back Issues

 

Main Page

Amtrak's Long-Distance Train Performance

February 2020

For the month of February 2020, the Bull Sheet has calculated that 48 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 39 percent.]

The average arrival of all long-distance trains in the survey period was 44 minutes late. [In the same month last year the average was one hour and 13 minutes late.]

The average arrival of the trains that were behind schedule was one hour and 26 minutes late. [In the same month last year it was one hour and 59 minutes late.]

The train with the best on-time performance in February 2020 was City of New Orleans (88 percent), and the train with the worst on-time performance was Sunset Limited (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 conveys realistic parameters reflecting actual performance (on time, or it is late).

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.

Average daily long-distance train performance in February 2020 was as follows:

 Date

 Pct on-time arrival

 Overall avg arrival

 Avg arrival if late

 Saturday, February 1

 41 %

 38 mins late

 1 hour, 5 mins late

 Sunday, February 2

 50 %

 34 mins late

 1 hour, 7 mins late

 Monday, February 3

 56 %

 17 mins late

 39 mins late

 Tuesday, February 4

 55 %

 23 mins late

 51 mins late

 Wednesday, February 5

 52 %

 37 mins late

 1 hour, 16 mins late

 Thursday, February 6

 29 %

 1 hour, 7 mins late

 1 hour, 34 mins late

 Friday, February 7

 39 %

 1 hour, 33 mins late

 2 hours, 32 mins late

 Saturday, February 8

 51 %

1 hour, 15 mins late

 2 hours, 34 mins late

 Sunday, February 9

 57 %

 41 mins late

 1 hour, 35 mins late

 Monday, February 10

 47 %

 47 mins late

 1 hour, 30 mins late

 Tuesday February 11

 61 %

 29 mins late

 1 hour, 14 mins late

 Wednesday, February 12

 55 %

 25 mins late

 55 mins late

 Thursday, February 13

 42 %

 1 hour, 3 mins late

 1 hour, 49 mins late

 Friday, February 14

 38 %

 1 hour, 10 mins late

 1 hour, 53 mins late

 Saturday, February 15

 38 %

 56 mins late

 1 hour, 30 mins late

 Sunday, February 16

 55 %

 37 mins late

 1 hour, 21 mins late

 Monday, February 17

 68 %

 22 mins late

 1 hour, 8 mins late

 Tuesday, February 18

 50 %

 38 mins late

 1 hour, 17 mins late

 Wednesday, February 19

 47 %

 47 mins late

 1 hour, 28 mins late

 Thursday, February 20

 25 %

 1 hour, 2 mins late

 1 hour, 23 mins late

 Friday, February 21

 44 %

 54 mins late

 1 hour, 38 mins late

 Saturday, February 22

 51 %

 37 mins late

 1 hour, 15 mins late

 Sunday, February 23

 42 %

 58 mins late

 1 hour, 39 mins late

 Monday, February 24

 49 %

 56 mins late

 1 hour, 50 mins late

 Tuesday, February 25

 64 %

 26 mins late

 1 hour, 11 mins late

 Wednesday, February 26

 49 %

 35 mins late

 1 hour, 9 mins late

 Thursday, February 27

 46 %

 29 mins late

 54 mins late

 Friday, February 28

 47 %

 39 mins late

 1 hour, 13 mins late

 Saturday, February 29

 58 %

 23 mins late

 54 mins late

 .

 .

 .

 .

 .

 .

 .

 .

 Composite for Month

 48 %

 44 mins late

 1 hour, 26 mins late

 

Month of February - Previous Five-Years' Comparison . . .

 Month

 Pct on-time arrival

 Overall avg arrival

 Avg arrival if late

 February 2019

 39 %

 1 hour, 13 mins late

 1 hour, 59 mins late

 February 2018

 37 %

 55 mins late

 1 hour, 27 mins late

 February 2017

 40 %

 50 mins late

 1 hour, 24 mins late

 February 2016

 50 %

 34 mins late

 1 hour, 7 mins late

 February 2015

 38 %

 1 hour, 1 min late

 1 hour, 40 mins late

 

February 2020 Train-by-Train Performance . . .

 Train

 Pct on-time arrival

 Overall avg arrival

 Avg arrival if late

 Auto Train

 48 %

 1 hour, 2 mins late

 2 hours late

 California Zephyr

 45 %

 1 hour, 17 mins late

 2 hours, 20 mins late

 Capitol Limited

 28 %

 43 mins late

 59 mins late

 Cardinal

 39 %

 55 mins late

 1 hour, 30 mins late

 Carolinian

 41 %

 42 mins late

 1 hour, 12 mins late

 City of New Orleans

 88 %

 8 mins late

 1 hour, 9 mins late

 Coast Starlight

 60 %

 18 mins late

 46 mins late

 Crescent

  6 %

 2 hours, 57 mins late

 3 hours, 8 mins late

 Empire Builder

 66 %

 37 mins late

 1 hour, 48 mins late

 Lake Shore Limited

 42 %

 24 mins late

 40 mins late

 Maple Leaf

 83 %

 3 mins late

 17 mins late

 Palmetto

 33 %

 28 mins late

 42 mins late

 Silver Meteor

 60 %

 33 mins late

 1 hour, 23 mins late

 Silver Star

 40 %

 55 mins late

 1 hour, 33 mins late

 Southwest Chief

 60 %

 24 mins late

 1 hour late

 Sunset Limited

 4 %

 3 hours, 19 mins late

 3 hours, 28 mins late

 Texas Eagle

 16 %

 59 mins late

 1 hour, 10 mins late

 Vermonter

 67 %

 4 mins late

 13 mins late

 Composite for Month

 48 %

 44 mins late

 1 hour, 26 mins late

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~