Amtrak's Long-Distance Train Performance
March 2020
For the month of March 2020, the Bull Sheet has calculated that 54 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 34 percent.]
The average arrival of all long-distance trains in the survey period was 37 minutes late. [In the same month last year the average was one hour and 21 minutes late.]
The average arrival of the trains that were behind schedule was one hour and 21 minutes late. [In the same month last year it was two hours and two minutes late.]
The train with the best on-time performance in March 2020 was City of New Orleans (87 percent), and the train with the worst on-time performance was Sunset Limited (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 conveys more 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 March 2020 was as follows:
Date
Pct on-time arrival
Overall avg arrival
Avg arrival if late
Sunday, March 1 61 %
23 mins late
1 hour late
Monday, March 2 50 %
15 mins late
30 mins late
Tuesday, March 3 62 %
28 mins late
1 hour, 13 mins late
Wednesday, March 4 36 %
50 mins late
1 hour, 18 mins late
Thursday, March 5 54 %
52 mins late
1 hour, 55 mins late
Friday, March 6 49 %
31 mins late
1 hour late
Saturday, March 7 68 %
15 mins late
47 mins late
Sunday, March 8 56 %
36 mins late
1 hour, 21 mins late
Monday, March 9 53 %
59 mins late
2 hours, 5 mins late
Tuesday, March 10 59 %
33 mins late
1 hour, 21 mins late
Wednesday, March 11 56 %
26 mins late
59 mins late
Thursday, March 12 49 %
30 mins late
59 mins late
Friday, March 13 44 %
37 mins late
1 hour, 6 mins late
Saturday, March 14 61 %
45 mins late
1 hour, 54 mins late
Sunday, March 15 62 %
47 mins late
2 hours, 4 mins late
Monday, March 16 47 %
1 hour late
1 hour, 53 mins late
Tuesday, March 17 48 %
51 mins late
1 hour, 39 mins late
Wednesday, March 18 59 %
20 mins late
49 mins late
Thursday, March 19 39 %
44 mins late
1 hour, 12 mins late
Friday, March 20 44 %
1 hour, 2 mins late
1 hour, 51 mins late
Saturday, March 21 56 %
28 mins late
1 hour, 3 mins late
Sunday, March 22 68 %
23 mins late
1 hour, 13 mins late
Monday, March 23 69 %
27 mins late
1 hour, 26 mins late
Tuesday, March 24 55 %
29 mins late
1 hour, 4 mins late
Wednesday, March 25 52 %
58 mins late
1 hour. 59 mins late
Thursday, March 26 48 %
27 mins late
52 mins late
Friday, March 27 52 %
1 hour, 4 mins late
2 hours, 13 mins late
Saturday, March 28 73 %
15 mins late
53 mins late
Sunday, March 29 37 %
57 mins late
1 hour, 30 mins late
Monday, March 30 50 %
29 mins late
59 mins late
Tuesday, March 31 73 %
25 mins late
1 hour, 32 mins late
Composite for Month 54 %
37 mins late
1 hour, 21 mins late
Six-year comparison for March . . .
6-year comparison
Pct on-time arrival
Overall avg arrival
Avg arrival if late
March 2015 34 %
1 hour late
1 hour, 30 mins late
March 2016 44 %
40 mins late
1 hour, 12 mins late
March 2017 26 %
1 hour, 9 mins late
1 hour, 33 mins late
March 2018 39 %
57 mins late
1 hour, 32 mins late
March 2019 34 %
1 hour, 21 mins late
2 hours, 2 mins late
March 2020 54 %
37 mins late
1 hour, 21 mins late
March 2020 Train-by-Train Performance . . .
Train
Pct on-time arrival
Overall avg arrival
Avg arrival if late
Auto Train 64 %
30 mins late
1 hour, 23 mins late
California Zephyr 57 %
45 mins late
1 hour, 45 mins late
Capitol Limited 39 %
20 mins late
33 mins late
Cardinal 58 %
33 mins late
1 hour, 17 mins late
Carolinian 77 %
7 mins late
30 mins late
City of New Orleans 87 %
8 mins late
1 hour, 6 mins late
Coast Starlight 56 %
22 mins late
50 mins late
Crescent 3 %
2 hours, 18 mins late
2 hours, 23 mins late
Empire Builder 72 %
26 mins late
1 hour, 33 mins late
Lake Shore Limited 48 %
20 mins late
39 mins late
Maple Leaf 67 %
3 mins late
9 mins late
Palmetto 44 %
22 mins late
39 mins late
Silver Meteor 58 %
14 mins late
34 mins late
Silver Star 72 %
9 mins late
31 mins late
Southwest Chief 52 %
1 hour, 9 mins late
2 hours, 24 mins late
Sunset Limited 0 %
2 hours, 56 mins late
2 hours, 56 mins late
Texas Eagle 19 %
1 hour, 25 mins late
1 hour, 44 mins late
Vermonter 75 %
5 mins late
19 mins late
Composite for Month 54 %
37 mins late
1 hour, 21 mins late
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