Amtrak's Long-Distance Train Performance
September 2024
Fifty-three percent of Amtrak's named long-distance trains arrived at their final destination on time or earlier in September 2024.
The average arrival of all long-distance trains in the survey period was 35 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 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 September 2024 was as follows:
Date
Pct on-time arrival
Overall avg arrival
Avg arrival if late
Sunday, September 1 67 %
34 mins late
1 hour, 41 mins late
Monday, September 2 76 %
16 mins late
1 hour, 7 mins late
Tuesday, September 3 63 %
31 mins late
1 hour, 24 mins late
Wednesday, September 4 65 %
29 mins late
1 hour, 21 mins late
Thursday, September 5 38 %
29 mins late
48 mins late
Friday, September 6 49 %
26 mins late
50 mins late
Saturday, September 7 69 %
29 mins late
1 hour, 33 mins late
Sunday, September 8 69 %
20 mins late
1 hour, 3 mins late
Monday, September 9 69 %
21 mins late
1 hour, 8 mins late
Tuesday, September 10 56 %
14 mins late
32 mins late
Wednesday, September 11 50 %
41 mins late
1 hour, 22 mins late
Thursday, September 12 47 %
13 mins late
24 mins late
Friday, September 13 41 %
47 mins late
1 hour, 19 mins late
Saturday, September 14 61 %
35 mins late
1 hour, 29 mins late
Sunday, September 15 45 %
43 mins late
1 hour, 18 mins late
Mnday, September 16 56 %
29 mins late
1 hour, 6 mins late
Tuesday, September 17 47 %
23 mins late
43 mins late
Wednesday, September 18 45 %
38 mins late
1 hour, 9 mins late
Thursday, September 19 42 %
1 hour late
1 hour, 45 mins late
Friday, September 20 54 %
37 mins late
1 hour, 20 mins late
Saturday, September 21 53 %
1 hour, 11 mins late
2 hours, 32 mins late
Sunday, September 22 50 %
35 mins late
1 hour, 9 mins late
Monday, September 23 63 %
10 mins late
28 mins late
Tuesday, September 24 48 %
35 mins late
1 hour, 7 mins late
Wednesday, September 25 47 %
29 mins late
56 mins late
Thursday, September 26 29 %
56 mins late
1 hour, 19 mins late
Friday, September 27 38 %
1 hour, 40 mins late
2 hours, 42 mins late
Saturday, September 28 60 %
28 mins late
1 hour, 9 mins late
Sunday, September 29 48 %
38 mins late
1 hour, 13 mins late
Monday, September 30 50 %
43 mins late
1 hour, 26 mins late
. .
.
.
Average for month 53 %
35 mins late
1 hour, 15 mins late
Nine-year comparison for September . . .
9-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 2022 38 %
52 mins late
1 hour, 24 mins late
September 2023 44 %
42 mins late
1 hour, 13 mins late
September 2024 53 %
35 mins late
1 hour, 15 mins late
September 2024 Train-by-Train Performance . . .
Train
Pct on-time arrival
Overall avg arrival
Avg arrival if late
Auto Train 87 %
5 mins late
37 mins late
California Zephyr 63 %
1 hour late
2 hours, 43 mins late
Capitol Limited 68 %
10 mins late
31 mins late
Cardinal 35 %
1 hour, 28 mins late
2 hours, 14 mins late
Carolinian 29 %
39 mins late
55 mins late
City of New Orleans 77 %
25 mins late
1 hour, 46 mins late
Coast Starlight 44 %
1 hour, 3 mins late
1 hour, 53 mins late
Crescent 67 %
29 mins late
1 hour, 27 mins late
Empire Builder 66 %
36 mins late
1 hour, 48 mins late
Lake Shore Limited 61 %
8 mins late
20 mins late
Maple Leaf 33 %
14 mins late
21 mins late
Palmetto 33 %
41 mins late
1 hour late
Silver Meteor 41 %
26 mins late
52 mins late
Silver Star 41 %
57 mins late
1 hour, 38 mins late
Southwest Chief 35 %
1 hour, 23 mins late
2 hours, 8 mins late
Sunset Limited 77 %
16 mins late
1 hour, 9 mins late
Texas Eagle 58 %
30 min late
1 hour, 11 mins late
Vermonter 42 %
14 mins late
25 mins late
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