Amtrak's Long-Distance Train Performance
October 2024
Forty-two percent of Amtrak's named long-distance trains arrived at their final destination on time or earlier in October 2024.
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 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 October 2024 was as follows:
Date
Pct on-time arrival
Overall avg arrival
Avg arrival if late
Tuesday, October 1 39 %
49 mins late
1 hour, 20 mins late
Wednsday, October 2 35 %
48 mins late
1 hour, 14 mins late
Thursday, October 3 34 %
49 mins late
1 hour, 14 mins late
Friday, October 4 36 %
40 mins late
1 hour, 2 mins late
Saturday, October 5 27 %
1 hour, 19 mins late
1 hour, 49 mins late
Sunday, October 6 45 %
1 hour, 7 mins late
2 hours, 2 mins late
Monday, October 7 31 %
42 mins late
1 hour, 1 min late
Tuesday, October 8 27 %
1 hour, 1 min late
1 hour, 23 mins late
Wednesday, October 9 52 %
27 mins late
56 mins late
Thursday, October 10 50 %
39 mins late
1 hour, 17 mins late
Friday, October 11 26 %
56 mins late
1 hour, 16 mins late
Saturday, October 12 48 %
35 mins late
1 hour, 8 mins late
Sunday, October 13 57 %
30 mins late
1 hour, 11 mins late
Monday, October 14 34 %
37 mins late
56 mins late
Tuesday, October 15 50 %
34 mins late
1 hour, 7 mins late
Wednesday, October 16 37 %
46 mins late
1 hour, 13 mins late
Thursday, October 17 38 %
59 mins late
1 hour, 36 mins late
Friday, October 18 41 %
47 mins late
1 hour, 20 mins late
Saturday, October 19 55 %
42 mins late
1 hour, 32 mins late
Sunday, October 20 42 %
46 mins late
1 hour, 19 mins late
Monday, October 21 49 %
1 hour, 6 mins late
2 hours, 9 mins late
Tuesday, October 22 45 %
44 mins late
1 hour, 21 mins late
Wednesday, October 23 58 %
13 mins late
32 mins late
Thursday, October 24 38 %
40 mins late
1 hour, 5 mins late
Friday, October 25 32 %
55 mins late
1 hour, 22 mins late
Saturday, October 26 39 %
32 mins late
52 mins late
Sunday, October 27 58 %
14 mins late
34 mins late
Monday, October 28 49 %
17 mins late
34 mins late
Tuesday, October 29 47 %
25 mins late
48 mins late
Wedneday, October 30 49 %
51 mins late
1 hour, 39 mins late
Thursday, October 31 42 %
40 mins late
1 hour, 10 mins late
Average for month 42 %
43 mins late
1 hour, 15 mins late
Nine-year comparison for October . . .
9-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 2022 35 %
51 mins late
1 hour, 18 mins late
October 2023 50 %
39 mins late
1 hour, 18 mins late
October 2024 42 %
43 mins late
1 hour, 15 mins late
October 2024 Train-by-Train Performance . . .
Train
Pct on-time arrival
Overall avg arrival
Avg arrival if late
Auto Train 19 %
2 hours, 5 mins late
2 hours, 34 mins late
California Zephyr 61 %
30 mins late
1 hour, 19 mins late
Capitol Limited 56 %
15 mins late
35 mins late
Cardinal 27 %
42 mins late
58 mins late
Carolinian 12 %
39 mins late
44 mins late
City of New Orleans 74 %
23 mins late
1 hour, 29 mins late
Coast Starlight 40 %
56 mins late
1 hour, 34 mins late
Crescent 62 %
20 mins late
53 mins late
Empire Builder 41 %
1 hour, 19 mins late
2 hours, 14 mins late
Lake Shore Limited 57 %
11 mins late
26 mins late
Maple Leaf 47 %
9 mins late
17 mins late
Palmetto 32 %
19 mins late
28 mins late
Silver Meteor 38 %
38 mins late
1 hour, 1 min late
Silver Star 39 %
31 mins late
51 mins late
Southwest Chief 15 %
2 hours, 22 mins late
2 hours, 48 mins late
Sunset Limited 65 %
20 mins late
58 mins late
Texas Eagle 50 %
29 min late
59 mins late
Vermonter 18 %
27 mins late
33 mins late
Year 2024 to date:
- Pct on-time arrival = 42 %
- Overall average arrival = 48 mins late
- Average arrival if late = 1 hour, 23 mins late
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