Amtrak's Long-Distance Train Performance
January 2021
Fifty-nine percent of Amtrak's named long-distance trains arrived at their final destination on time or earlier in January 2021.
The average arrival of all long-distance trains in the survey period was 28 minutes late.
The average arrival of just those trains that were behind schedule was one hour and nine 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 likely differ.
Average daily long-distance train performance in January 2021 was as follows:
Date
Pct on-time arrival
Overall avg arrival
Avg arrival if late
Friday, January 1 63 %
14 mins late
37 mins late
Saturday, January 2 81 %
7 mins late
38 mins late
Sunday, January 3 71 %
4 mins late
14 mins late
Monday, January 4 90 %
2 mins late
17 mins late
Tuesday, January 5 54 %
12 mins late
25 mins late
Wednesday, January 6 71 %
6 mins late
19 mins late
Thursday, January 7 79 %
7 mins late
32 mins late
Friday, January 8 44 %
1 hour, 19 mins late
2 hours, 21 mins late
Saturday, January 9 52 %
43 mins late
1 hour, 29 mins late
Sunday, January 10 43 %
37 mins late
1 hour, 5 mins late
Monday, January 11 64 %
31 mins late
1 hour, 26 mins late
Tuesday, January 12 77 %
9 mins late
40 mins late
Wednesday, January 13 57 %
38 mins late
1 hour, 28 mins late
Thursday, January 14 40 %
52 mins late
1 hour, 26 mins late
Friday, January 15 44 %
32 mins late
56 mins late
Saturday, January 16 62 %
26 mins late
1 hour, 7 mins late
Sunday, January 17 60 %
22 mins late
54 mins late
Monday, January 18 64 %
7 mins late
20 mins late
Tuesday, January 19 55 %
41 mins late
1 hour, 30 mins late
Wednesday, January 20 77 %
23 mins late
1 hour, 38 mins late
Thursday, January 21 56 %
23 mins late
53 mins late
Friday, January 22 38 %
47 mins late
1 hour, 16 mins late
Saturday, January 23 57 %
28 mins late
1 hour, 6 mins late
Sunday, January 24 60 %
9 mins late
23 mins late
Monday, January 25 67 %
30 mins late
1 hour, 31 mins late
Tuesday, January 26 38 %
18 mins late
30 mins late
Wednesday, January 27 60 %
50 mins late
2 hours, 6 mins late
Thursday, January 28 60 %
45 mins late
1 hour, 52 mins late
Friday, January 29 44 %
37 mins late
1 hour, 5 mins late
Saturday, January 30 48 %
40 mins late
1 hour, 16 mins late
Sunday, January 31 36 %
1 hour, 12 mins late
1 hour, 52 mins late
Composite for Month 59 %
28 mins late
1 hour, 9 mins late
Six-year comparison for January . . .
6-year comparison
Pct on-time arrival
Overall avg arrival
Avg arrival if late
January 2016 35 %
54 mins late
1 hour, 23 mins late
January 2017 35 %
1 hour late
1 hour, 32 mins late
January 2018 37 %
59 mins late
1 hour, 33 mins late
January 2019 43 %
39 mins late
1 hour, 9 mins late
January 2020 64 %
25 mins late
1 hour, 10 mins late
January 2021 59 %
28 mins late
1 hour, 9 mins late
January 2021 Train-by-Train Performance . . .
Train
Pct on-time arrival
Overall avg arrival
Avg arrival if late
Auto Train 73 %
19 mins late
1 hour, 11 mins late
California Zephyr 60 %
48 mins late
1 hour, 59 mins late
Capitol Limited 22 %
32 mins late
41 mins late
Cardinal 48 %
20 mins late
39 mins late
Carolinian 74 %
11 mins late
42 mins late
City of New Orleans 89 %
6 mins late
58 mins late
Coast Starlight 38 %
57 mins late
1 hour, 32 mins late
Crescent 25 %
1 hour, 32 mins late
2 hours, 3 mins late
Empire Builder 81 %
16 mins late
1 hour, 24 mins late
Lake Shore Limited 51 %
20 mins late
42 mins late
Maple Leaf [no data]
.
.
Palmetto 63 %
4 mins late
12 mins late
Silver Meteor 67 %
17 mins late
50 mins late
Silver Star 34 %
58 mins late
1 hour, 29 mins late
Southwest Chief 52 %
34 mins late
1 hour, 10 mins late
Sunset Limited 30 %
56 mins late
1 hour, 18 mins late
Texas Eagle 85 %
27 mins late
2 hours, 53 mins late
Vermonter [no data]
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