Amtrak's Long-Distance Train Performance
June 2021
Thirty-nine percent of Amtrak's named long-distance trains arrived at their scheduled final destination on time or earlier in June 2021.
The average arrival of all long-distance trains in the survey period was one hour late.
The average arrival of just those trains that were behind schedule was one hour and 37 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.
Average daily long-distance train performance in June 2021 was as follows:
Date
Pct on-time arrival
Overall avg arrival
Avg arrival if late
Tuesday, June 1 64 %
29 mins late
1 hour, 20 mins late
Wednesday, June 2 46 %
1 hour, 8 mins late
2 hours, 6 mins late
Thursday, June 3 40 %
35 mins late
58 mins late
Friday, June 4 41 %
59 mins late
1 hour, 41 mins late
Saturday, June 5 37 %
1 hour, 3 mins late
1 hour, 41 mins late
Sunday, June 6 38 %
57 mins late
1 hour, 33 mins late
Monday, June 7 46 %
22 mins late
42 mins late
Tuesday, June 8 43 %
1 hour, 20 mins late
2 hours, 21 mins late
Wednesday, June 9 29 %
1 hour, 13 mins late
1 hour, 43 mins late
Thursday, June 10 29 %
1 hour, 17 mins late
1 hour, 49 mins late
Friday, June 11 36 %
1 hour, 14 mins late
1 hour, 56 mins late
Saturday, June 12 39 %
52 mins late
1 hour, 25 mins late
Sunday, June 13 45 %
1 hour, 9 mins late
2 hours, 6 mins late
Monday, June 14 28 %
1 hour, 24 mins late
1 hour, 57 mins late
Tuesday, June 15 41 %
1 hour, 12 mins late
2 hours, 3 mins late
Wednesday, June 16 38 %
1 hour, 5 mins late
1 hour, 45 mins late
Thursday, June 17 40 %
51 mins late
1 hour, 24 mins late
Friday, June 18 39 %
1 hour, 5 mins late
1 hour, 48 mins late
Saturday, June 19 29 %
1 hour, 34 mins late
2 hours, 12 mins late
Sunday, June 20 41 %
53 mins late
1 hour, 29 mins late
Monday, June 21 44 %
52 mins late
1 hour, 32 mins late
Tuesday, June 22 52 %
30 mins late
1 hour, 2 mins late
Wednesday, June 23 47 %
22 mins late
42 mins late
Thursday, June 24 42 %
38 mins late
1 hour, 6 mins late
Friday, June 25 33 %
59 mins late
1 hour, 28 mins late
Saturday, June 26 45 %
1 hour, 20 mins late
2 hours, 25 mins late
Sunday, June 27 41 %
1 hour, 13 mins late
2 hours, 4 mins late
Monday, June 28 31 %
1 hour, 15 mins late
1 hour, 49 mins late
Tuesday, June 29 31 %
56 mins late
1 hour, 21 mins late
Wednesday, June 30 34 %
53 mins late
1 hour, 20 mins late
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Composite for Month 39 %
1 hour late
1 hour, 37 mins late
Six-year comparison for June . . .
6-year comparison
Pct on-time arrival
Overall avg arrival
Avg arrival if late
June 2016 29 %
1 hour, 2 mins late
1 hour, 26 mins late
June 2017 20 %
1 hour, 13 mins late
1 hour, 32 mins late
June 2018 19 %
1 hour, 27 mins late
1 hour, 47 mins late
June 2019 21 %
1 hour, 24 mins late
1 hour, 47 mins late
June 2020 58 %
29 mins late
1 hour, 9 mins late
June 2021 39 %
1 hour late
1 hour, 37 mins late
June 2021 Train-by-Train Performance . . .
Train
Pct on-time arrival
Overall avg arrival
Avg arrival if late
Auto Train 35 %
33 mins late
51 mins late
California Zephyr 12 %
2 hours, 26 mins late
2 hours, 45 mins late
Capitol Limited 13 %
1 hour, 7 mins late
1 hour, 17 mins late
Cardinal 20 %
1 hour, 32 mins late
1 hour, 54 mins late
Carolinian 38 %
24 mins late
38 mins late
City of New Orleans 83 %
14 mins late
1 hour, 24 mins late
Coast Starlight 37 %
1 hour, 16 mins late
2 hours, 1 min late
Crescent 52 %
39 mins late
1 hour, 21 mins late
Empire Builder 73 %
23 mins late
1 hour, 24 mins late
Lake Shore Limited 38 %
32 mins late
52 mins late
Maple Leaf [no data]
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.
Palmetto 13 %
1 hour, 4 mins late
1 hour, 14 mins late
Silver Meteor 44 %
36 mins late
1 hour, 5 mins late
Silver Star 25 %
1 hour, 16 mins late
1 hour, 41 mins late
Southwest Chief 5 %
2 hours, 55 mins late
3 hours, 5 mins late
Sunset Limited 31 %
1 hour, 18 mins late
1 hour, 53 mins late
Texas Eagle 58 %
45 mins late
1 hour, 48 mins late
Vermonter [no data]
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2021 Year-to-Date Standings - Percentage On-Time Arrival
Train |
Pct on-time arrival |
| City of New Orleans | 85 % |
| Texas Eagle | 60 % |
| Empire Builder | 60 % |
| Carolinian | 57 % |
| Auto Train | 47 % |
| Coast Starlight | 45 % |
| California Zephyr | 41 % |
| Silver Meteor | 40 % |
| Cardinal | 39 % |
| Lake Shore Limited | 37 % |
| Palmetto | 30 % |
| Silver Star | 26 % |
| Southwest Chief | 25 % |
| Crescent | 25 % |
| Sunset Limited | 17 % |
| Capitol Limited | 15 % |
2021 Year-to-Date Standings - Overall Average Arrival
Train |
Overall avg arrival |
| City of New Orleans | 10 mins late |
| Carolinian | 20 mins late |
| Texas Eagle | 34 mins late |
| Lake Shore Limited | 37 mins late |
| Empire Builder | 39 mins late |
| Cardinal | 43 mins late |
| Palmetto | 45 mins late |
| Silver Meteor | 47 mins late |
| Coast Starlight | 52 mins late |
| Auto Train | 58 mins late |
| Capitol Limited | 1 hour late |
| Silver Star | 1 hour, 22 mins late |
| California Zephyr | 1 hour, 24 mins late |
| Crescent | 1 hour, 25 mins late |
| Sunset Limited | 1 hour, 37 mins late |
| Southwest Chief | 1 hour, 41 mins late |
2021 Year-to-Date Standings - Average Arrival, Only When Late
Train |
Avg arrival when late |
| Carolinian | 46 mins late |
| Lake Shore Limited | 1 hour late |
| Palmetto | 1 hour, 5 mins late |
| City of New Orleans | 1 hour, 8 mins late |
| Cardinal | 1 hour, 11 mins late |
| Capitol Limited | 1 hour, 11 mins late |
| Silver Meteor | 1 hour, 17 mins late |
| Texas Eagle | 1 hour, 26 mins late |
| Coast Starlight | 1 hour, 33 mins late |
| Empire Builder | 1 hour, 36 mins late |
| Auto Train | 1 hour, 48 mins late |
| Silver Star | 1 hour, 51 mins late |
| Crescent | 1 hour, 54 mins late |
| Sunset Limited | 1 hour, 58 mins late |
| Southwest Chief | 2 hours, 14 mins late |
| California Zephyr | 2 hours, 23 mins late |