Amtrak's Long-Distance Train Performance
February 2021
Forty-six percent of Amtrak's named long-distance trains arrived at their final destination on time or earlier in February 2021.
The average arrival of all long-distance trains in the survey period was one hour and three minutes late.
The average arrival of just those trains that were behind schedule was one hour and 56 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 February 2021 was as follows:
Date
Pct on-time arrival
Overall avg arrival
Avg arrival if late
Monday, February 1 50 %
25 mins late
49 mins late
Tuesday, February 2 64 %
29 mins late
1 hour, 19 mins late
Wednesday, February 3 60 %
25 mins late
1 hour, 3 mins late
Thursday, February 4 63 %
14 mins late
38 mins late
Friday, February 5 38 %
1 hour, 38 mins late
2 hours, 36 mins late
Saturday, February 6 57 %
20 mins late
46 mins late
Sunday, February 7 40 %
1 hour, 5 mins late
1 hour, 49 mins late
Monday, February 8 59 %
28 mins late
1 hour, 9 mins late
Tuesday, February 9 63 %
15 mins late
38 mins late
Wednesday, February 10 60 %
21 mins late
53 mins late
Thursday, February 11 56 %
30 mins late
1 hour, 9 mins late
Friday, February 12 33 %
1 hour, 14 mins late
1 hour, 51 mins late
Saturday, February 13 10 %
4 hours, 22 mins late
4 hours, 51 mins late
Sunday, February 14 14 %
3 hours, 35 mins late
4 hours, 11 mins late
Monday, February 15 32 %
1 hour, 58 mins late
2 hours, 53 mins late
Tuesday, February 16 11 %
2 hours, 3 mins late
2 hours, 19 mins late
Wednesday, February 17 50 %
1 hour, 22 mins late
2 hours, 44 mins late
Thursday, February 18 30 %
1 hour, 21 mins late
1 hour, 55 mins late
Friday, February 19 45 %
27 mins late
49 mins late
Saturday, February 20 58 %
15 mins late
35 mins late
Sunday, February 21 54 %
21 mins late
45 mins late
Monday, February 22 53 %
38 mins late
1 hour, 20 mins late
Tuesday, February 23 46 %
45 mins late
1 hour, 23 mins late
Wednesday, February 24 38 %
1 hour, 9 mins late
1 hour, 51 mins late
Thursday, February 25 36 %
1 hour, 4 mins late
1 hour, 40 mins late
Friday, February 26 33 %
1 hour, 31 mins late
2 hours, 17 mins late
Saturday, February 27 48 %
50 mins late
1 hour, 35 mins late
Sunday, February 28 64 %
25 mins late
1 hour, 9 mins late
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Composite for Month 46 %
1 hour, 3 mins late
1 hour, 56 mins late
Seven-year comparison for February . . .
7-year comparison
Pct on-time arrival
Overall avg arrival
Avg arrival if late
February 2015 38 %
1 hour, 1 min late
1 hour, 40 mins late
February 2016 50 %
34 mins late
1 hour, 7 mins late
February 2017 40 %
50 mins late
1 hour, 24 mins late
February 2018 37 %
55 mins late
1 hour, 27 mins late
February 2019 39 %
1 hour, 13 mins late
1 hour, 59 mins late
February 2020 48 %
44 mins late
1 hour, 26 mins late
February 2021 46 %
1 hour, 3 mins late
1 hour, 56 mins late
February 2021 Train-by-Train Performance . . .
Train
Pct on-time arrival
Overall avg arrival
Avg arrival if late
Auto Train 57 %
1 hour, 27 mins late
3 hours, 24 mins late
California Zephyr 50 %
44 mins late
1 hour, 29 mins late
Capitol Limited 13 %
1 hour, 18 mins late
1 hour, 29 mins late
Cardinal 21 %
1 hour, 6 mins late
1 hour, 23 mins late
Carolinian 57 %
36 mins late
1 hour, 25 mins late
City of New Orleans 91 %
2 mins late
19 mins late
Coast Starlight 70 %
1 hour, 37 mins late
5 hours, 25 mins late
Crescent 11 %
1 hour, 23 mins late
1 hour, 33 mins late
Empire Builder 51 %
1 hour, 5 mins late
2 hours, 13 mins late
Lake Shore Limited 22 %
50 mins late
1 hour, 4 mins late
Maple Leaf [no data]
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Palmetto 50 %
1 hour, 15 mins late
2 hours, 30 mins late
Silver Meteor 56 %
29 mins late
1 hour, 7 mins late
Silver Star 42 %
2 hours, 10 mins late
3 hours, 42 mins late
Southwest Chief 45 %
26 mins late
47 mins late
Sunset Limited 6 %
2 hours, 22 mins late
2 hours, 30 mins late
Texas Eagle 60 %
25 mins late
1 hour, 4 mins late
Vermonter [no data]
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