Amtrak's Long-Distance Train Performance
August 2021
Thirty-seven percent of Amtrak's named long-distance trains arrived at their scheduled final destination on time or earlier in August 2021.
The average arrival of all long-distance trains in the survey period was 46 minutes late.
The average arrival of just those trains that were behind schedule was one hour and 13 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 nominally late as on time, 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 August 2021 was as follows:
Date
Pct on-time arrival
Overall avg arrival
Avg arrival if late
Sunday, August 1 43 %
51 mins late
1 hour, 31 mins late
Monday, August 2 34 %
29 mins late
45 mins late
Tuesday, August 3 52 %
25 mins late
51 mins late
Wednesday, August 4 33 %
31 mins late
47 mins late
Thursday, August 5 34 %
44 mins late
1 hour, 7 mins late
Friday, August 6 32 %
49 mins late
1 hour, 12 mins late
Saturday, August 7 47 %
38 mins late
1 hour, 11 mins late
Sunday, August 8 47 %
54 mins late
1 hour, 41 mins late
Monday, August 9 41 %
1 hour, 9 mins late
1 hour, 57 mins late
Tuesday, August 10 39 %
57 mins late
1 hour, 32 mins late
Wednesday, August 11 19 %
1 hour, 17 mins late
1 hour, 36 mins late
Thursday, August 12 45 %
52 mins late
1 hour, 34 mins late
Friday, August 13 24 %
1 hour, 24 mins late
1 hour, 51 mins late
Saturday, August 14 39 %
44 mins late
1 hour, 12 mins late
Sunday, August 15 50 %
26 mins late
51 mins late
Monday, August 16 19 %
52 mins late
1 hour, 4 mins late
Tuesday, August 17 45 %
34 mins late
1 hour, 1 min late
Wednesday, August 18 42 %
39 mins late
1 hour, 7 mins late
Thursday, August 19 27 %
47 mins late
1 hour, 4 mins late
Friday, August 20 52 %
42 mins late
1 hour, 28 mins late
Saturday, August 21 52 %
24 mins late
49 mins late
Sunday, August 22 55 %
33 mins late
1 hour, 14 mins late
Monday, August 23 29 %
41 mins late
58 mins late
Tuesday, August 24 27 %
53 mins late
1 hour, 13 mins late
Wednesday, August 25 21 %
1 hour, 21 mins late
1 hour, 42 mins late
Thursday, August 26 21 %
47 mins late
59 mins late
Friday, August 27 29 %
34 mins late
48 mins late
Saturday, August 28 47 %
39 mins late
1 hour, 14 mins late
Sunday, August 29 43 %
32 mins late
56 mins late
Monday, August 30 33 %
40 mins late
1 hour late
Tuesday, August 31 46 %
35 mins late
1 hour, 6 mins late
Composite for Month 37 %
46 mins late
1 hour, 13 mins late
Six-year comparison for August . . .
6-year comparison
Pct on-time arrival
Overall avg arrival
Avg arrival if late
August 2016 33 %
48 mins late
1 hour, 12 mins late
August 2017 26 %
1 hour, 2 mins late
1 hour, 24 mins late
August 2018 21 %
1 hour, 26 mins late
1 hour, 50 mins late
August 2019 25 %
1 hour, 9 mins late
1 hour, 32 mins late
August 2020 54 %
35 mins late
1 hour, 17 mins late
August 2021 37 %
46 mins late
1 hour, 13 mins late
August 2021 Train-by-Train Performance . . .
Train
Pct on-time arrival
Overall avg arrival
Avg arrival if late
Auto Train 44 %
42 mins late
1 hour, 15 mins late
California Zephyr 17 %
2 hours, 4 mins late
2 hours, 28 mins late
Capitol Limited 6 %
1 hour, 25 mins late
1 hour, 31 mins late
Cardinal 21 %
1 hour, 1 min late
1 hour, 18 mins late
Carolinian 47 %
21 mins late
39 mins late
City of New Orleans 94 %
7 mins late
2 hours, 7 mins late
Coast Starlight 38 %
59 mins late
1 hour, 36 mins late
Crescent 47 %
38 mins late
1 hour, 13 mins late
Empire Builder 65 %
24 mins late
1 hour, 9 mins late
Lake Shore Limited 14 %
42 mins late
49 mins late
Maple Leaf [no data]
.
.
Palmetto 27 %
25 mins late
35 mins late
Silver Meteor 56 %
20 mins late
46 mins late
Silver Star 42 %
30 mins late
52 mins late
Southwest Chief 27 %
52 mins late
1 hour, 11 mins late
Sunset Limited 9 %
3 hours, 14 mins late
3 hours, 33 mins late
Texas Eagle 34 %
1 hour, 1 min late
1 hour, 32 mins late
Vermonter 20 %
25 mins late
31 mins late
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2021 Year-to-Date Standings - Percentage On-Time Arrival
Train |
Pct on-time arrival |
City of New Orleans | 88 % |
Empire Builder | 60 % |
Carolinian | 52 % |
Texas Eagle | 51 % |
Auto Train | 48 % |
Silver Meteor | 47 % |
Coast Starlight | 45 % |
Cardinal | 35 % |
Crescent | 34 % |
Silver Star | 31 % |
Lake Shore Limited | 30 % |
California Zephyr | 30 % |
Palmetto | 25 % |
Vermonter | 25 % |
Southwest Chief | 22 % |
Sunset Limited | 15 % |
Capitol Limited | 13 % |
2021 Year-to-Date Standings - Overall Average Arrival
Train |
Overall avg arrival |
City of New Orleans | 9 mins late |
Carolinian | 21 mins late |
Vermonter | 25 mins late |
Empire Builder | 35 mins late |
Silver Meteor | 38 mins late |
Lake Shore Limited | 43 mins late |
Cardinal | 44 mins late |
Palmetto | 45 mins late |
Texas Eagle | 46 mins late |
Coast Starlight | 51 mins late |
Auto Train | 53 mins late |
Crescent | 1 hour, 4 mins late |
Silver Star | 1 hour, 5 mins late |
Capitol Limited | 1 hour, 13 mins late |
Southwest Chief | 1 hour, 50 mins late |
California Zephyr | 1 hour, 59 mins late |
Sunset Limited | 2 hours, 2 mins late |
2021 Year-to-Date Standings - Average Arrival, Only When Late
Train |
Avg arrival when late |
Vermonter | 34 mins late |
Carolinian | 43 mins late |
Palmetto | 1 hour late |
Lake Shore Limited | 1 hour, 2 mins late |
Cardinal | 1 hour, 8 mins late |
Silver Meteor | 1 hour, 11 mins late |
City of New Orleans | 1 hour, 14 mins late |
Capitol Limited | 1 hour, 24 mins late |
Empire Builder | 1 hour, 27 mins late |
Coast Starlight | 1 hour, 33 mins late |
Texas Eagle | 1 hour, 34 mins late |
Silver Star | 1 hour, 35 mins late |
Crescent | 1 hour, 38 mins late |
Auto Train | 1 hour, 41 mins late |
Southwest Chief | 2 hours, 21 mins late |
Sunset Limited | 2 hours, 23 mins late |
California Zephyr | 2 hours, 50 mins late |