Amtrak's Long-Distance Train Performance
September 2021
Forty-three percent of Amtrak's named long-distance trains arrived at their scheduled final destination on time or earlier in September 2021.
The average arrival of all long-distance trains in the survey period was 38 minutes late.
The average arrival of just those trains that were behind schedule was one hour and six 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 September 2021 was as follows:
Date
Pct on-time arrival
Overall avg arrival
Avg arrival if late
Wednesday, September 1 37 %
52 mins late
1 hour, 22 mins late
Thursday, September 2 35 %
49 mins late
1 hour, 15 mins late
Friday, September 3 21 %
40 mins late
51 mins late
Saturday, September 4 52 %
28 mins late
58 mins late
Sunday, September 5 26 %
53 mins late
1 hour, 12 mins late
Monday, September 6 50 %
24 mins late
48 mins late
Tuesday, September 7 52 %
29 mins late
59 mins late
Wednesday, September 8 32 %
44 mins late
1 hour, 5 mins late
Thursday, September 9 30 %
46 mins late
1 hour, 5 mins late
Friday, September 10 36 %
50 mins late
1 hour, 18 mins late
Saturday, September 11 40 %
52 mins late
1 hour, 27 mins late
Sunday, September 12 43 %
49 mins late
1 hour, 26 mins late
Monday, September 13 52 %
22 mins late
46 mins late
Tuesday, September 14 52 %
23 mins late
48 mins late
Wednesday, September 15 31 %
59 mins late
1 hour, 25 mins late
Thursday, September 16 29 %
1 hour, 17 mins late
1 hour, 49 mins late
Friday, September 17 26 %
1 hour, 2 mins late
1 hour, 23 mins late
Saturday, September 18 47 %
25 mins late
48 mins late
Sunday, September 19 73 %
17 mins late
1 hour, 4 mins late
Monday, September 20 57 %
20 mins late
47 mins late
Tuesday, September 21 55 %
26 mins late
57 mins late
Wednesday, September 22 48 %
12 mins late
24 mins late
Thursday, September 23 52 %
25 mins late
52 mins late
Friday, September 24 39 %
50 mins late
1 hour, 22 mins late
Saturday, September 25 42 %
20 mins late
35 mins late
Sunday, September 26 33 %
1 hour, 9 mins late
1 hour, 43 mins late
Monday, September 27 45 %
23 mins late
42 mins late
Tuesday, September 28 57 %
18 mins late
41 mins late
Wednesday, September 29 48 %
30 mins late
59 mins late
Thursday, September 30 43 %
33 mins late
57 mins late
. .
.
.
Composite for Month 43 %
38 mins late
1 hour, 6 mins late
Six-year comparison for September . . .
6-year comparison
Pct on-time arrival
Overall avg arrival
Avg arrival if late
September 2016 38 %
41 mins late
1 hour, 6 mins late
September 2017 34 %
49 mins late
1 hour, 14 mins late
September 2018 29 %
1 hour, 6 mins late
1 hour, 33 mins late
September 2019 36 %
49 mins late
1 hour, 16 mins late
September 2020 52 %
32 mins late
1 hour, 6 mins late
September 2021 43 %
38 mins late
1 hour, 6 mins late
September 2021 Train-by-Train Performance . . .
Train
Pct on-time arrival
Overall avg arrival
Avg arrival if late
Auto Train 65 %
24 mins late
1 hour, 8 mins late
California Zephyr 25 %
1 hour, 11 mins late
1 hour, 35 mins late
Capitol Limited 3 %
1 hour, 27 mins late
1 hour, 30 mins late
Cardinal 24 %
1 hour, 17 mins late
1 hour, 42 mins late
Carolinian 67 %
15 mins late
46 mins late
City of New Orleans 100 %
0 mins late
0 mins late
Coast Starlight 49 %
1 hour, 2 mins late
2 hours, 2 mins late
Crescent 60 %
27 mins late
1 hour, 7 mins late
Empire Builder 52 %
27 mins late
57 mins late
Lake Shore Limited 29 %
27 mins late
38 mins late
Maple Leaf [no data]
.
.
Palmetto 32 %
25 mins late
37 mins late
Silver Meteor 54 %
19 mins late
41 mins late
Silver Star 42 %
29 mins late
50 mins late
Southwest Chief 42 %
50 mins late
1 hour, 25 mins late
Sunset Limited 32 %
1 hour, 23 mins late
2 hours, 1 min late
Texas Eagle 62 %
29 mins late
1 hour, 15 mins late
Vermonter 34 %
11 mins late
17 mins late
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2021 Year-to-Date Standings - Percentage On-Time Arrival
Train |
Pct on-time arrival |
| City of New Orleans | 88 % |
| Empire Builder | 59 % |
| Carolinian | 54 % |
| Texas Eagle | 53 % |
| Auto Train | 50 % |
| Silver Meteor | 48 % |
| Coast Starlight | 46 % |
| Crescent | 38 % |
| Cardinal | 34 % |
| Silver Star | 33 % |
| Lake Shore Limited | 30 % |
| California Zephyr | 29 % |
| Vermonter | 29 % |
| Palmetto | 26 % |
| Southwest Chief | 25 % |
| Sunset Limited | 16 % |
| Capitol Limited | 11 % |
2021 Year-to-Date Standings - Overall Average Arrival
Train |
Overall avg arrival |
| City of New Orleans | 9 mins late |
| Vermonter | 20 mins late |
| Carolinian | 20 mins late |
| Empire Builder | 34 mins late |
| Silver Meteor | 35 mins late |
| Lake Shore Limited | 41 mins late |
| Palmetto | 41 mins late |
| Texas Eagle | 43 mins late |
| Cardinal | 47 mins late |
| Auto Train | 49 mins late |
| Coast Starlight | 53 mins late |
| Crescent | 59 mins late |
| Silver Star | 59 mins late |
| Capitol Limited | 1 hour, 15 mins late |
| Southwest Chief | 1 hour, 40 mins late |
| California Zephyr | 1 hour, 51 mins late |
| Sunset Limited | 1 hour, 59 mins late |
2021 Year-to-Date Standings - Average Arrival, Only When Late
Train |
Avg arrival when late |
| Vermonter | 27 mins late |
| Carolinian | 43 mins late |
| Palmetto | 56 mins late |
| Lake Shore Limited | 58 mins late |
| Silver Meteor | 1 hour, 8 mins late |
| Cardinal | 1 hour, 12 mins late |
| City of New Orleans | 1 hour, 14 mins late |
| Empire Builder | 1 hour, 23 mins late |
| Capitol Limited | 1 hour, 25 mins late |
| Silver Star | 1 hour, 29 mins late |
| Texas Eagle | 1 hour, 32 mins late |
| Crescent | 1 hour, 35 mins late |
| Coast Starlight | 1 hour, 38 mins late |
| Auto Train | 1 hour, 39 mins late |
| Southwest Chief | 2 hours, 14 mins late |
| Sunset Limited | 2 hours, 22 mins late |
| California Zephyr | 2 hours, 37 mins late |