Amtrak's Long-Distance Train Performance
April 2020
For the month of April 2020, the Bull Sheet has calculated that 68 percent of Amtrak's named long-distance trains arrived at their final destination on time or earlier. [In the same month last year it was 37 percent.]
The average arrival of all long-distance trains in the survey period was 20 minutes late. [In the same month last year the average was 53 minutes late.]
The average arrival of the trains that were behind schedule was one hour late. [In the same month last year it was one hour and 24 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 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 may differ.
Traffic in April was somewhat impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. This, and the fact that freight volumes were considerably depressed, resulted in more improved Amtrak performance in this period. Moreover, a number of trains that would ordinarily operate were either truncated or did not run at all. The averages reflected in this survey period are not typical by historical standards, but they are presented nevertheless as a matter of record. Average daily long-distance train performance in April 2020 was as follows:
Date
Pct on-time arrival
Overall avg arrival
Avg arrival if late
Wednesday, April 1 64 %
30 mins late
1 hour. 23 mins late
Thursday, April 2 56 %
17 mins late
39 mins late
Friday, April 3 58 %
29 mins late
1 hour, 7 mins late
Saturday, April 4 65 %
13 mins late
39 mins late
Sunday, April 5 79 %
12 mins late
57 mins late
Monday, April 6 78 %
9 mins late
41 mins late
Tuesday, April 7 65 %
25 mins late
1 hour, 13 mins late
Wednesday, April 8 46 %
33 mins late
1 hour. 1 min late
Thursday, April 9 65 %
30 mins late
1 hour, 27 mins late
Friday, April 10 87 %
14 mins late
1 hour, 51 mins late
Saturday, April 11 70 %
20 mins late
1 hour, 7 mins late
Sunday, April 12 64 %
44 mins late
2 hours late
Monday, April 13 57 %
53 mins late
2 hours, 2 mins late
Tuesday, April 14 71 %
37 mins late
2 hours, 8 mins late
Wednesday, April 15 58 %
30 mins late
1 hour. 10 mins late
Thursday, April 16 60 %
20 mins late
50 mins late
Friday, April 17 64 %
10 mins late
29 mins late
Saturday, April 18 73 %
4 mins late
13 mins late
Sunday, April 19 85 %
16 mins late
1 hour, 46 mins late
Monday, April 20 72 %
10 mins late
34 mins late
Tuesday, April 21 75 %
6 mins late
25 mins late
Wednesday, April 22 68 %
28 mins late
1 hour, 29 mins late
Thursday, April 23 63 %
5 mins late
13 mins late
Friday, April 24 68 %
16 mins late
49 mins late
Saturday, April 25 65 %
6 mins late
18 mins late
Sunday, April 26 70 %
7 mins late
25 mins late
Monday, April 27 80 %
4 mins late
21 mins late
Tuesday, April 28 71 %
22 mins late
1 hour, 14 mins late
Wednesday, April 29 68 %
22 mins late
1 hour, 8 mins late
Thursday, April 30 73 %
24 mins late
1 hour, 27 mins late
. .
.
.
Composite for Month 68 %
20 mins late
1 hour late
Five-year comparison for April . . .
5-year comparison
Pct on-time arrival
Overall avg arrival
Avg arrival if late
. .
.
.
April 2016 44 %
36 mins late
1 hour, 4 mins late
April 2017 31 %
52 mins late
1 hour, 16 mins late
April 2018 37 %
47 mins late
1 hour, 15 mins late
April 2019 37 %
53 mins late
1 hour, 24 mins late
April 2020 68 %
20 mins late
1 hour late
April 2020 Train-by-Train Performance . . .
Train
Pct on-time arrival
Overall avg arrival
Avg arrival if late
Auto Train 61 %
25 mins late
1 hour, 3 mins late
California Zephyr 91 %
13 mins late
2 hours, 27 mins late
Capitol Limited 68 %
13 mins late
40 mins late
Cardinal 73 %
22 mins late
1 hour, 22 mins late
Carolinian 80 %
7 mins late
35 mins late
City of New Orleans [insufficient data]
.
.
Coast Starlight 80 %
18 mins late
1 hour, 34 mins late
Crescent 28 %
1 hour, 6 mins late
1 hour, 32 mins late
Empire Builder 73 %
5 mins late
18 mins late
Lake Shore Limited 75 %
7 mins late
26 mins late
Maple Leaf [no data]
.
.
Palmetto 64 %
5 mins late
13 mins late
Silver Meteor 53 %
33 mins late
1 hour, 10 mins late
Silver Star 82 %
8 mins late
45 mins late
Southwest Chief 80 %
6 mins late
28 mins late
Sunset Limited 36 %
47 mins late
1 hour, 14 mins late
Texas Eagle 67 %
24 mins late
1 hour, 13 mins late
Vermonter [no data]
.
.
Composite for Month 68 %
20 mins late
1 hour late
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