Amtrak's Long-Distance Train Performance
August 2024
Thirty-eight percent of Amtrak's named long-distance trains arrived at their final destination on time or earlier in August 2024.
The average arrival of all long-distance trains in the survey period was 51 minutes late.
The average arrival of just those trains that were behind schedule was one hour and 22 minutes late.
YEAR-TO-DATE: Forty-one percent of long-distance trains arrived on time or earlier.
YEAR-TO-DATE: Average arrival of long-distance trains was 49 minutes late.
YEAR-TO-DATE: Average arrival of those trains arriving behind schedule was one hour and 23 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 most often differ.
Average daily long-distance train performance in August 2024 was as follows:
Date
Pct on-time arrival
Overall avg arrival
Avg arrival if late
Thursday, August 1 26 %
54 mins late
1 hour, 13 mins late
Friday, August 2 27 %
1 hour, 9 mins late
1 hour, 34 mins late
Saturday, August 3 46 %
50 mins late
1 hour, 32 mins late
Sunday, August 4 40 %
39 mins late
1 hour, 6 mins late
Monday, August 5 33 %
51 mins late
1 hour, 17 mins late
Tuesday, August 6 24 %
1 hour, 43 mins late
2 hours, 16 mins late
Wednesday, August 7 36 %
1 hour late
1 hour, 34 mins late
Thursday, August 8 37 %
1 hour, 14 mins late
1 hour, 57 mins late
Friday, August 9 19 %
1 hour, 56 mins late
2 hours, 23 mins late
Saturday, August 10 46 %
35 mins late
1 hour, 4 mins late
Sunday, August 11 42 %
33 mins late
57 mins late
Monday, August 12 42 %
45 mins late
1 hour, 17 mins late
Tuesday, August 13 51 %
42 mins late
1 hour, 27 mins late
Wednesday, August 14 31 %
1 hour, 15 mins late
1 hour, 48 mins late
Thursday, August 15 37 %
46 mins late
1 hour, 13 mins late
Friday, August 16 43 %
45 mins late
1 hour, 20 mins late
Saturday, August 17 54 %
32 mins late
1 hour, 10 mins late
Sunday, August 18 57 %
30 mins late
1 hour, 9 mins late
Monday, August 19 31 %
38 mins late
55 mins late
Tuesday, August 20 45 %
44 mins late
1 hour, 21 mins late
Wednesday, August 21 42 %
39 mins late
1 hour, 7 mins late
Thursday, August 22 34 %
52 mins late
1 hour, 20 mins late
Friday, August 23 38 %
56 mins late
1 hour, 30 mins late
Saturday, August 24 26 %
1 hour, 2 mins late
1 hour, 23 mins late
Sunday, August 25 36 %
57 mins late
1 hour, 29 mins late
Monday, August 26 43 %
25 mins late
45 mins late
Tuesday, August 27 31 %
49 mins late
1 hour, 12 mins late
Wednesday, August 28 36 %
43 mins late
1 hour, 7 mins late
Thursday, August 29 46 %
39 mins late
1 hour, 11 mins late
Friday, August 30 41 %
36 mins late
1 hour late
Saturday, August 31 37 %
41 mins late
1 hour, 6 mins late
Average for month 38 %
51 mins late
1 hour, 22 mins late
Nine-year comparison for August . . .
9-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 2022 26 %
1 hour, 14 mins late
1 hour, 39 mins late
August 2023 33 %
1 hour, 3 mins late
1 hour, 34 mins late
August 2024 38 %
51 mins late
1 hour, 22 mins late
August 2024 Train-by-Train Performance . . .
Train
Pct on-time arrival
Overall avg arrival
Avg arrival if late
Auto Train 48 %
39 mins late
1 hour, 15 mins late
California Zephyr 40 %
1 hour, 8 mins late
1 hour, 55 mins late
Capitol Limited 60 %
14 mins late
35 mins late
Cardinal 42 %
49 mins late
1 hour, 25 mins late
Carolinian 11 %
1 hour, 5 mins late
1 hour, 13 mins late
City of New Orleans 84 %
11 mins late
1 hour, 8 mins late
Coast Starlight 52 %
28 mins late
58 mins late
Crescent 45 %
33 mins late
1 hour late
Empire Builder 38 %
57 mins late
1 hour, 32 mins late
Lake Shore Limited 46 %
15 mins late
28 mins late
Maple Leaf 32 %
29 mins late
43 mins late
Palmetto 32 %
36 mins late
53 mins late
Silver Meteor 22 %
1 hour, 42 mins late
2 hours, 12 mins late
Silver Star 17 %
1 hour, 26 mins late
1 hour, 44 mins late
Southwest Chief 2 %
2 hours, 39 mins late
2 hours, 42 mins late
Sunset Limited 58 %
44 mins late
1 hour, 45 mins late
Texas Eagle 42 %
1 hour, 1 min late
1 hour, 45 mins late
Vermonter 18 %
30 mins late
37 mins late
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