Amtrak Long-Distance Trains
Performance for the year 2020
Fifty-six percent of Amtrak's named long-distance trains arrived at their scheduled final destination on time or earlier in the year 2020... The remaining trains, on average, arrived one hour and 14 minutes late. Overall average arrival of all long-distance trains was 33 minute late.
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Monthly performance |
Pct on-time arrival |
Overall avg arrival |
Avg arrival if late |
January 2020 | 58 % |
30 mins late |
1 hour, 10 mins late |
February 2020 | 48 % |
44 mins late |
1 hour, 26 mins late |
March 2020 | 54 % |
37 mins late |
1 hour, 21 mins late |
April 2020 | 68 % |
20 mins late |
1 hour late |
May 2020 | 65 % |
25 mins late |
1 hour, 11 mins late |
June 2020 | 58 % |
29 mins late |
1 hour, 9 mins late |
July 2020 | 47 % |
42 mins late |
1 hour, 20 mins late |
August 2020 | 54 % |
35 mins late |
1 hour, 17 mins late |
September 2020 | 52 % |
32 mins late |
1 hour, 6 mins late |
October 2020 | 55 % |
30 mins late |
1 hour, 6 mins late |
November 2020 | 54 % |
39 mins late |
1 hour, 25 mins late |
December 2020 | 64 % |
25 mins late |
1 hour, 10 mins late |
Composite averages | 56 % |
33 mins late |
1 hour, 14 mins late |
Comparative Performance
Annual Performance |
Pct on-time arrival |
Overall avg arrival |
Avg arrival if late |
2016 |
40 % |
48 mins late |
1 hour, 14 mins late |
2017 |
30 % |
1 hour late |
1 hour, 27 mins late |
2018 |
31 % |
1 hour, 7 mins late |
1 hour, 36 mins late |
2019 |
33 % |
1 hour, 3 mins late |
1 hour, 34 mins late |
2020 |
56 % |
33 mins late |
1 hour, 14 mins late |
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2020 Year-Ending Standings - Percentage On-Time Arrival
Train
Pct On Time Arrival
City of New Orleans 89 %
Maple Leaf * 78 %
Coast Starlight 68 %
Empire Builder 68 %
Vermonter * 67 %
Auto Train 66 %
Carolinian 61 %
Southwest Chief 60 %
Silver Meteor 58 %
California Zephyr 57 %
Lake Shore Limited 52 %
Silver Star 51 %
Cardinal 47 %
Texas Eagle 45 %
Palmetto 43 %
Capitol Limited 39 %
Crescent 28 %
Sunset Limited 27 %
2020 Year-Ending Standings - Overall Average Arrival
Train
Overall Average Arrival
Maple Leaf * 3 mins late
Vermonter * 4 mins late
City of New Orleans 11 mins late
Carolinian 16 mins late
Coast Starlight 20 mins late
Lake Shore Limited 21 mins late
Palmetto 24 mins late
Auto Train 27 mins late
Empire Builder 27 mins late
Silver Meteor 28 mins late
Capitol Limited 31 mins late
Silver Star 37 mins late
Cardinal 38 mins late
Southwest Chief 44 mins late
Texas Eagle 46 mins late
California Zephyr 57 mins late
Crescent 1 hour, 5 mins late
Sunset Limited 1 hour, 32 mins late
2020 Year-Ending Standings - Average Arrival When Late
Train
Average arrival if late
Vermonter * 12 mins late
Maple Leaf * 14 mins late
Carolinian 40 mins late
Palmetto 43 mins late
Lake Shore Limited 44 mins late
Capitol Limited 50 mins late
Coast Starlight 1 hour, 2 mins late
Silver Meteor 1 hour, 7 mins late
Cardinal 1 hour, 11 mins late
Silver Star 1 hour, 15 mins late
Auto Train 1 hour, 22 mins late
Empire Builder 1 hour, 23 mins late
Texas Eagle 1 hour, 25 mins late
Crescent 1 hour, 31 mins late
City of New Orleans 1 hour, 39 mins late
Southwest Chief 1 hour, 49 mins late
Sunset Limited 2 hours, 5 mins late
California Zephyr 2 hours, 12 mins late
* Maple Leaf and Vermonter were cut off as through trains March 15 and March 27, respectively.. Data included above only reflect through scheduled operation prior to those dates.
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ABOUT THESE REPORTS:
This survey tracks overall averages of daily performance.
The Bull Sheet calculates arrival performance at final destination of Amtrak's named long-distance trains. The data are based upon the reported arrival times of each of the affected trains, and there is no grace allowance for minimal lateness. If a train arrives at its final terminal behind schedule, even by a minute, it is considered 'late.' Trains must arrive on time, or earlier, to be considered 'on time.' The Bull Sheet considers that long-distance Amtrak trains have sufficient padding in their schedule to offset typical en route delays, and it is not necessary to apply a grace allowance on top of that padding to bolster on-time reporting. Accordingly, these reports offer a more realistic analysis than what is routinely reported by Amtrak.
Data only apply to final destination, not to intermediate points. They do not adjust for any time gained en route if the train left the originating station late and then gained time, and no additional credit is given for trains that arrive at their destination ahead of scheduled time.
Runs that are truncated, canceled, terminated en route, or reported with missing, incomplete or ambiguous data are excluded from the survey.
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