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
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