Amtrak's Long-Distance Train Performance
May 2024
Thirty-nine percent of Amtrak's named long-distance trains arrived at their final destination on time or earlier in May 2024.
The average arrival of all long-distance trains in the survey period was 54 minutes late.
The average arrival of just those trains that were behind schedule was one hour and 28 minutes late.
YEAR-TO-DATE: Forty-six percent of long-distance trains arrived on time or earlier.
YEAR-TO-DATE: Average arrival of long-distance trains was 43 minutes late.
YEAR-TO-DATE: Average arrival of those trains arriving behind schedule was one hour and 19 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 on time if they are nominally late, 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 May 2024 was as follows:
Date
Pct on-time arrival
Overall avg arrival
Avg arrival if late
Wednesday, May 1 46 %
40 mins late
1 hour, 14 mins late
Thursday, May 2 34 %
56 mins late
1 hour, 26 mins late
Friday, May 3 30 %
1 hour, 7 mins late
1 hour, 36 mins late
Saturday, May 4 40 %
1 hour, 3 mins late
1 hour, 45 mins late
Sunday, May 5 59 %
35 mins late
1 hour, 25 mins late
Monday, May 6 41 %
30 mins late
51 mins late
Tuesday, May 7 41 %
41 mins late
1 hour, 7 mins late
Wednesday, May 8 18 %
49 mins late
1 hour late
Thursday, May 9 47 %
38 mins late
1 hour, 12 mins late
Friday, May 10 39 %
1 hour, 7 mins late
1 hour, 50 mins late
Saturday, May 11 50 %
50 mins late
1 hour, 40 mins late
Sunday, May 12 56 %
28 mins late
1 hour, 4 mins late
Monday, May 13 37 %
1 hour, 13 mins late
1 hour, 56 mins late
Tuesday, May 14 51 %
44 mins late
1 hour, 30 mins late
Wednesday, May 15 40 %
48 mins late
1 hour, 20 mins late
Thursday, May 16 38 %
1 hour, 3 mins late
1 hour, 47 mins late
Friday, May 17 19 %
1 hour, 7 mins late
1 hour, 23 mins late
Saturday, May 18 46 %
46 mins late
1 hour, 24 mins late
Sunday, May 19 53 %
40 mins late
1 hour, 25 mins late
Monday, May 20 39 %
1 hour, 10 mins late
1 hour, 55 mins late
Tuesday, May 21 29 %
1 hour, 31 mins late
2 hours, 8 mins late
Wednesday, May 22 26 %
1 hour, 20 mins late
1 hour, 47 mins late
Thursday, May 23 21 %
1 hour, 16 mins late
1 hour, 36 mins late
Friday, May 24 24 %
1 hour, 12 mins late
1 hour, 36 mins late
Saturday, May 25 47 %
39 mins late
1 hour, 14 mins late
Sunday, May 26 56 %
21 mins late
47 mins late
Memorial Day 53 %
40 mins late
1 hour, 25 mins late
Tuesday, May 28 33 %
1 hour late
1 hour, 31 mins late
Wednesday, May 29 41 %
31 mins late
52 mins late
Thursday, May 30 34 %
52 mins late
1 hour, 19 mins late
Friday, May 31 32 %
1 hour, 17 mins late
1 hour, 54 mins late
Average for month 39 %
54 mins late
1 hour, 28 mins late
Nine-year comparison for May . . .
9-year comparison
Pct on-time arrival
Overall avg arrival
Avg arrival if late
May 2016 41 %
38 mins late
1 hour, 6 mins late
May 2017 28 %
1 hour, 6 mins late
1 hour, 31 mins late
May 2018 26 %
1 hour, 7 mins late
1 hour, 30 mins late
May 2019 27 %
1 hour, 8 mins late
1 hour, 33 mins late
May 2020 65 %
25 mins late
1 hour, 11 mins late
May 2021 32 %
1 hour, 12 mins late
1 hour, 46 mins late
May 2022 27 %
1 hour, 16 mins late
1 hour, 43 mins late
May 2023 43 %
50 mins late
1 hour, 26 mins late
May 2024 39 %
54 mins late
1 hour, 28 mins late
May 2024 Train-by-Train Performance . . .
Train
Pct on-time arrival
Overall avg arrival
Avg arrival if late
Auto Train 40 %
55 mins late
1 hour, 31 mins late
California Zephyr 53 %
48 mins late
1 hour, 43 mins late
Capitol Limited 56 %
16 mins late
37 mins late
Cardinal 30 %
1 hour, 31 mins late
2 hours, 10 mins late
Carolinian 21 %
51 mins late
1 hour, 5 mins late
City of New Orleans 81 %
19 mins late
1 hour, 39 mins late
Coast Starlight 63 %
33 mins late
1 hour, 29 mins late
Crescent 25 %
1 hour, 10 mins late
1 hour, 33 mins late
Empire Builder 60 %
20 mins late
50 mins late
Lake Shore Limited 61 %
8 mins late
21 mins late
Maple Leaf 34 %
25 mins late
38 mins late
Palmetto 35 %
34 mins late
53 mins late
Silver Meteor 6 %
1 hour, 41 mins late
1 hour, 49 mins late
Silver Star 8 %
2 hours, 14 mins late
2 hours, 26 mins late
Southwest Chief 22 %
1 hour, 40 mins late
2 hours, 9 mins late
Sunset Limited 43 %
2 hours, 42 mins late
4 hours, 44 mins late
Texas Eagle 18 %
1 hour, 53 mins late
2 hours, 17 mins late
Vermonter 16 %
39 mins late
47 mins late
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