Amtrak's Long-Distance Train Performance
November 2021
Forty-three percent of Amtrak's named long-distance trains arrived at their scheduled final destination on time or earlier in November 2021.
The average arrival of all long-distance trains in the survey period was 43 minutes late.
The average arrival of just those trains that were behind schedule was one hour and 15 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 November 2021 was as follows:
Date
Pct on-time arrival
Overall avg arrival
Avg arrival if late
Monday, November 1 47 %
49 mins late
1 hour, 33 mins late
Tuesday, November 2 48 %
39 mins late
1 hour, 15 mins late
Wednesday, November 3 53 %
1 hour, 3 mins late
2 hours, 15 mins late
Thursday, November 4 48 %
54 mins late
1 hour, 45 mins late
Friday, November 5 31 %
40 mins late
59 mins late
Saturday, November 6 42 %
35 mins late
1 hour late
Sunday, November 7 56 %
15 mins late
34 mins late
Monday, November 8 53 %
25 mins late
54 mins late
Tuesday, November 9 48 %
38 mins late
1 hour, 13 mins late
Wednesday, November 10 59 %
27 mins late
1 hour, 4 mins late
Thursday, November 11 48 %
20 mins late
39 mins late
Friday, November 12 49 %
47 mins late
1 hour, 32 mins late
Saturday, November 13 31 %
45 mins late
1 hour, 5 mins late
Sunday, November 14 48 %
28 mins late
54 mins late
Monday, November 15 32 %
1 hour, 3 mins late
1 hour, 33 mins late
Tuesday, November 16 36 %
1 hour, 2 mins late
1 hour, 38 mins late
Wednesday, November 17 45 %
48 mins late
1 hour, 29 mins late
Thursday, November 18 12 %
1 hour, 14 mins late
1 hour, 25 mins late
Friday, November 19 26 %
1 hour, 9 mins late
1 hour, 33 mins late
Saturday, November 20 39 %
32 mins late
53 mins late
Sunday, November 21 47 %
38 mins late
1 hour, 12 mins late
Monday, November 22 32 %
46 mins late
1 hour, 8 mins late
Tuesday, November 23 24 %
58 mins late
1 hour, 17 mins late
Wednesday, November 24 24 %
1 hour, 18 mins late
1 hour, 43 mins late
Thanksgiving 48 %
26 mins late
50 mins late
Friday, November 26 49 %
28 mins late
55 mins late
Saturday, November 27 45 %
32 mins late
58 mins late
Sunday, November 28 50 %
34 mins late
1 hour, 13 mins late
Monday, November 29 41 %
48 mins late
1 hour, 22 mins late
Tuesday, November 30 61 %
22 mins late
57 mins late
. .
.
.
Composite for Month 43 %
43 mins late
1 hour, 15 mins late
Six-year comparison for November . . .
6-year comparison
Pct on-time arrival
Overall avg arrival
Avg arrival if late
November 2016 38 %
46 mins late
1 hour, 14 mins late
November 2017 33 %
48 mins late
1 hour, 12 mins late
November 2018 32 %
1 hour, 14 mins late
1 hour, 48 mins late
November 2019 42 %
47 mins late
1 hour, 22 mins late
November 2020 54 %
39 mins late
1 hour, 25 mins late
November 2021 43 %
43 mins late
1 hour, 15 mins late
November 2021 Train-by-Train Performance . . .
Train
Pct on-time arrival
Overall avg arrival
Avg arrival if late
Auto Train 34 %
1 hour, 9 mins late
1 hour, 46 mins late
California Zephyr 45 %
59 mins late
1 hour, 47 mins late
Capitol Limited 10 %
1 hour, 11 mins late
1 hour, 19 mins late
Cardinal 52 %
24 mins late
51 mins late
Carolinian 52 %
19 mins late
39 mins late
City of New Orleans 83 %
12 mins late
1 hour, 9 mins late
Coast Starlight 67 %
26 mins late
1 hour, 18 mins late
Crescent 17 %
1 hour, 19 mins late
1 hour, 34 mins late
Empire Builder 46 %
58 mins late
1 hour, 46 mins late
Lake Shore Limited 39 %
28 mins late
46 mins late
Maple Leaf [no data]
.
.
Palmetto 37 %
17 mins late
27 mins late
Silver Meteor 45 %
43 mins late
1 hour, 18 mins late
Silver Star 41 %
36 mins late
1 hour late
Southwest Chief 38 %
1 hour, 22 mins late
2 hours, 13 mins late
Sunset Limited 31 %
1 hour, 13 mins late
1 hour, 45 mins late
Texas Eagle 53 %
30 mins late
1 hour, 4 mins late
Vermonter 33 %
12 mins late
19 mins late
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2021 Year-to-Date Standings - Percentage On-Time Arrival
Train |
Pct on-time arrival |
| City of New Orleans | 87 % |
| Empire Builder | 56 % |
| Carolinian | 53 % |
| Texas Eagle | 52 % |
| Coast Starlight | 48 % |
| Silver Meteor | 47 % |
| Auto Train | 45 % |
| Crescent | 36 % |
| Cardinal | 36 % |
| Silver Star | 35 % |
| Vermonter | 32 % |
| Lake Shore Limited | 31 % |
| California Zephyr | 31 % |
| Palmetto | 29 % |
| Southwest Chief | 27 % |
| Sunset Limited | 17 % |
| Capitol Limited | 12 % |
2021 Year-to-Date Standings - Overall Average Arrival
Train |
Overall avg arrival |
| City of New Orleans | 10 mins late |
| Vermonter | 17 mins late |
| Carolinian | 20 mins late |
| Palmetto | 36 mins late |
| Empire Builder | 37 mins late |
| Silver Meteor | 37 mins late |
| Lake Shore Limited | 39 mins late |
| Texas Eagle | 43 mins late |
| Cardinal | 43 mins late |
| Coast Starlight | 51 mins late |
| Silver Star | 58 mins late |
| Crescent | 58 mins late |
| Auto Train | 59 mins late |
| Capitol Limited | 1 hour, 13 mins late |
| Southwest Chief | 1 hour, 34 mins late |
| California Zephyr | 1 hour, 44 mins late |
| Sunset Limited | 1 hour, 53 mins late |
2021 Year-to-Date Standings - Average Arrival, Only When Late
Train |
Avg arrival when late |
| Vermonter | 25 mins late |
| Carolinian | 42 mins late |
| Palmetto | 51 mins late |
| Lake Shore Limited | 56 mins late |
| Cardinal | 1 hour, 7 mins late |
| Silver Meteor | 1 hour, 9 mins late |
| City of New Orleans | 1 hour, 16 mins late |
| Capitol Limited | 1 hour, 23 mins late |
| Empire Builder | 1 hour, 24 mins late |
| Silver Star | 1 hour, 29 mins late |
| Texas Eagle | 1 hour, 30 mins late |
| Crescent | 1 hour, 31 mins late |
| Coast Starlight | 1 hour, 38 mins late |
| Auto Train | 1 hour, 48 mins late |
| Southwest Chief | 2 hours, 9 mins late |
| Sunset Limited | 2 hours, 17 mins late |
| California Zephyr | 2 hours, 31 mins late |