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Amtrak's Long-Distance Train Performance

October 2021

Thirty-nine percent of Amtrak's named long-distance trains arrived at their scheduled final destination on time or earlier in October 2021.

The average arrival of all long-distance trains in the survey period was 52 minutes late.

The average arrival of just those trains that were behind schedule was one hour and 24 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 October 2021 was as follows:

 Date

 Pct on-time arrival

 Overall avg arrival

 Avg arrival if late

 Friday, October 1

37 %

 48 mins late

1 hour, 17 mins late

 Saturday, October 2

33 %

 1 hour late

1 hour, 30 mins late

 Sunday, October 3

45 %

 55 mins late

 1 hour, 41 mins late

 Monday, October 4

41 %

1 hour, 2 mins late

 1 hour, 45 mins late

 Tuesday, October 5

63 %

18 mins late

 49 mins late

 Wednesday, October 6

41 %

 39 mins late

 1 hour, 6 mins late

 Thursday, October 7

30 %

 53 mins late

 1 hour, 16 mins late

 Friday, October 8

34 %

 31 mins late

46 mins late

 Saturday, October 9

33 %

 47 mins late

1 hour, 10 mins late

 Sunday, October 10

44 %

 59 mins late

 1 hour, 45 mins late

 Monday, October 11

61 %

37 mins late

 1 hour, 35 mins late

 Tuesday, October 12

34 %

40 mins late

 1 hour, 1 min late

 Wednesday, October 13

47 %

 43 mins late

 1 hour, 21 mins late

 Thursday, October 14

35 %

 29 mins late

 45 mins late

 Friday, October 15

35 %

 41 mins late

1 hour, 3 mins late

 Saturday, October 16

45 %

 31 mins late

58 mins late

 Sunday, October 17

50 %

 52 mins late

 1 hour, 44 mins late

 Monday, October 18

21 %

1 hour, 10 mins late

 1 hour, 28 mins late

 Tuesday, October 19

33 %

35 mins late

 53 mins late

 Wednesday, October 20

26 %

 56 mins late

 1 hour, 17 mins late

 Thursday, October 21

36 %

 42 mins late

 1 hour, 6 mins late

 Friday, October 22

46 %

 27 mins late

50 mins late

 Saturday, October 23

45 %

 46 mins late

1 hour, 24 mins late

 Sunday, October 24

44 %

 1 hour, 5 mins late

 1 hour, 56 mins late

 Monday, October 25

35 %

52 mins late

 1 hour, 20 mins late

 Tuesday, October 26

39 %

1 hour, 7 mins late

 1 hour, 51 mins late

 Wednesday, October 27

33 %

  1 hour, 11 mins late

 1 hour, 47 mins late

 Thursday, October 28

24 %

 58 mins late

 1 hour, 17 mins late

 Friday, October 29

23 %

 1 hour, 30 mins late

1 hour, 57 mins late

 Saturday, October 30

42 %

 1 hour, 26 mins late

2 hours, 30 mins late

 Sunday, October 31

44 %

 1 hour, 22 mins late

 2 hours, 28 mins late

 Composite for Month

39 %

 52 mins late

 1 hour, 24 mins late

 

Six-year comparison for October . . .

 6-year comparison

 Pct on-time arrival

 Overall avg arrival

 Avg arrival if late

 October 2016

 38 %

 44 mins late

 1 hour, 12 mins late

 October 2017

 31 %

 55 mins late

 1 hour, 20 mins late

 October 2018

 34 %

 49 mins late

 1 hour, 15 mins late

 October 2019

 32 %

 53 mins late

 1 hour, 17 mins late

 October 2020

 55 %

 30 mins late

 1 hour, 6 mins late

 October 2021

 39 %

 52 mins late

 1 hour, 24 mins late

 

October 2021 Train-by-Train Performance . . .

 Train

 Pct on-time arrival

 Overall avg arrival

 Avg arrival if late

 Auto Train

 16 %

 2 hours, 17 mins late

 2 hours, 42 mins late

 California Zephyr

 28 %

 1 hour, 50 mins late

 2 hours, 33 mins late

 Capitol Limited

 18 %

 1 hour, 3 mins late

 1 hour, 16 mins late

 Cardinal

 35 %

 23 mins late

 36 mins late

 Carolinian

 50 %

 19 mins late

 39 mins late

 City of New Orleans

 84 %

 15 mins late

 1 hour, 31 mins late

 Coast Starlight

 38 %

 1 hour, 8 mins late

 1 hour, 49 mins late

 Crescent

 43 %

 35 mins late

 1 hour, 2 mins late

 Empire Builder

 51 %

33 mins late

 1 hour, 6 mins late

 Lake Shore Limited

 29 %

 37 mins late

 52 mins late

 Maple Leaf

 [no data]

 .

 .

 Palmetto

 41 %

 21 mins late

 36 mins late

 Silver Meteor

 42 %

 39 mins late

 1 hour, 8 mins late

 Silver Star

 40 %

 1 hour, 8 mins late

 1 hour, 54 mins late

 Southwest Chief

 27 %

 1 hour, 10 mins late

 1 hour, 36 mins late

 Sunset Limited

 15 %

 1 hour, 51 mins late

 2 hours, 10 mins late

 Texas Eagle

 45 %

 56 mins late

 1 hour, 42 mins late

 Vermonter

 39 %

 14 mins late

 23 mins late

 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

2021 Year-to-Date Standings - Percentage On-Time Arrival

 Train

 Pct on-time arrival

 City of New Orleans

 87 %

 Empire Builder

 58 %

 Carolinian

 53 %

 Texas Eagle

 52 %

 Silver Meteor

 47 %

 Auto Train

 47 %

 Coast Starlight

 44 %

 Crescent

 39 %

 Cardinal

 34 %

 Silver Star

 34 %

 Vermonter

 32 %

 Lake Shore Limited

 30 %

 California Zephyr

 29 %

 Palmetto

 28 %

 Southwest Chief

 26 %

 Sunset Limited

 16 %

 Capitol Limited

 12 %

2021 Year-to-Date Standings - Overall Average Arrival

 Train

 Overall avg arrival

 City of New Orleans

 10 mins late

 Vermonter

 18 mins late

 Carolinian

 20 mins late

 Empire Builder

 34 mins late

 Silver Meteor

 36 mins late

 Palmetto

 38 mins late

 Lake Shore Limited

 40 mins late

 Texas Eagle

 45 mins late

 Cardinal

 45 mins late

 Crescent

 55 mins late

 Coast Starlight

 56 mins late

 Auto Train

 58 mins late

 Silver Star

 1 hour, 1 min late

 Capitol Limited

 1 hour, 13 mins late

 Southwest Chief

 1 hour, 35 mins late

 California Zephyr

 1 hour, 51 mins late

 Sunset Limited

 1 hour, 58 mins late

2021 Year-to-Date Standings - Average Arrival, Only When Late

 Train

 Avg arrival when late

 Vermonter

 26 mins late

 Carolinian

 43 mins late

 Palmetto

 54 mins late

 Lake Shore Limited

 57 mins late

 Silver Meteor

 1 hour, 8 mins late

 Cardinal

 1 hour, 8 mins late

 City of New Orleans

 1 hour, 18 mins late

 Empire Builder

 1 hour, 20 mins late

 Capitol Limited

 1 hour, 24 mins late

 Crescent

 1 hour, 30 mins late

 Silver Star

 1 hour, 32 mins late

 Texas Eagle

 1 hour, 33 mins late

 Coast Starlight

 1 hour, 40 mins late

 Auto Train

 1 hour, 48 mins late

 Southwest Chief

 2 hours, 8 mins late

 Sunset Limited

 2 hours, 20 mins late

 California Zephyr

 2 hours, 36 mins late