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Amtrak's Long-Distance Train Performance

September 2020

For the month of September 2020, the Bull Sheet has calculated that 52 percent of Amtrak's named long-distance trains arrived at their final destination on time or earlier.

The average arrival of all long-distance trains in the survey period was 32 minutes late.

The average arrival of just those trains that were behind schedule was one hour and six minutes late.

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 simply 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 will generally differ.

Traffic in September was somewhat impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, and by storms along the Gulf Coast. A number of trains that would ordinarily operate were either truncated or did not run at all. The averages reflected in this survey period are not typical by historical standards, but they are presented nevertheless as a matter of record.

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

 Date

 Pct on-time arrival

 Overall avg arrival

 Avg arrival if late

 Tuesday, September 1

36 %

28 mins late

 44 mins late

 Wednesday, September 2

38 %

 40 mins late

 1 hour, 4 mins late

 Thursday, September 3

34 %

 51 mins late

 1 hour, 18 mins late

 Friday, September 4

40 %

 1 hour, 3 mins late

 1 hour, 45 mins late

 Saturday, September 5

48 %

 59 mins late

 1 hour, 53 mins late

 Sunday, September 6

67 %

 28 mins late

 1 hour, 24 mins late

 Monday, September 7

70 %

17 mins late

 56 mins late

 Tuesday, September 8

57 %

25 mins late

 58 mins late

 Wednesday, September 9

41 %

 53 mins late

 1 hour, 30 mins late

 Thursday, September 10

46 %

 49 mins late

 1 hour, 31 mins late

 Friday, September 11

55 %

 1 hour late

 2 hours, 13 mins late

 Saturday, September 12

54 %

 24 mins late

 52 mins late

 Sunday, September 13

62 %

 28 mins late

 1 hour, 14 mins late

 Monday, September 14

48 %

14 mins late

 27 mins late

 Tuesday, September 15

54 %

12 mins late

 26 mins late

 Wednesday, September 16

69 %

 14 mins late

 46 mins late

 Thursday, September 17

58 %

 21 mins late

 48 mins late

 Friday, September 18

52 %

 26 mins late

 54 mins late

 Saturday, September 19

59 %

 25 mins late

 1 hour, 1 min late

 Sunday, September 20

70 %

 30 mins late

 1 hour, 41 mins late

 Monday, September 21

72 %

11 mins late

 42 mins late

 Tuesday, September 22

55 %

17 mins late

 38 mins late

 Wednesday, September 23

47 %

 40 mins late

 1 hour, 16 mins late

 Thursday, September 24

38 %

 25 mins late

 41 mins late

 Friday, September 25

48 %

 18 mins late

 35 mins late

 Saturday, September 26

62 %

 17 mins late

 45 mins late

 Sunday, September 27

63 %

 19 mins late

 52 mins late

 Monday, September 28

30 %

 50 mins late

 1 hour, 11 mins late

 Tuesday, September 29

48 %

 34 mins late

 1 hour, 5 mins late

 Wednesday, September 30

47 %

 38 mins late

 1 hour, 10 mins late

 .

.

 .

 .

 Composite for Month

 52 %

 32 mins late

 1 hour, 6 mins late

 

Five-year comparison for September . . .

 5-year comparison

 Pct on-time arrival

 Overall avg arrival

 Avg arrival if late

 .

 .

 .

 .

 September 2016

 38 %

 41 mins late

 1 hour, 6 mins late

 September 2017

 34 %

 49 mins late

 1 hour, 14 mins late

 September 2018

 29 %

 1 hour, 6 mins late

 1 hour, 33 mins late

 September 2019

 36 %

 49 mins late

 1 hour, 16 mins late

 September 2020

 52 %

 32 mins late

 1 hour, 6 mins late

 

September 2020 Train-by-Train Performance . . .

 Train

 Pct on-time arrival

 Overall avg arrival

 Avg arrival if late

 Auto Train

 73 %

 20 mins late

 1 hour, 15 mins late

 California Zephyr

 45 %

 55 mins late

 1 hour, 40 mins late

 Capitol Limited

 28 %

 41 mins late

 57 mins late

 Cardinal

 48 %

 22 mins late

 43 mins late

 Carolinian

 68 %

 16 mins late

 50 mins late

 City of New Orleans

 92 %

 4 mins late

 48 mins late

 Coast Starlight

 62 %

 28 mins late

 1 hour, 12 mins late

 Crescent

 40 %

 33 mins late

 56 mins late

 Empire Builder

 65 %

 20 mins late

 56 mins late

 Lake Shore Limited

 47 %

 19 mins late

 36 mins late

 Maple Leaf

 [no data]

 .

 .

 Palmetto

 35 %

 26 mins late

 41 mins late

 Silver Meteor

 53 %

 25 mins late

 52 mins late

 Silver Star

 33 %

 39 mins late

 59 mins late

 Southwest Chief

 53 %

 44 mins late

 1 hour, 35 mins late

 Sunset Limited

 19 %

 1 hour, 47 mins late

 2 hours, 12 mins late

 Texas Eagle

 40 %

 58 mins late

 1 hour, 45 mins late

 Vermonter

 [no data]

 .

 .

 Composite for Month

 52 %

 32 mins late

 1 hour, 6 mins late

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