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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