Amtrak's Long-Distance Train Performance
August 2020
For the month of August 2020, the Bull Sheet has calculated that 54 percent of Amtrak's named long-distance trains arrived at their final destination on time or earlier.
The average arrival of all long-distance trains in the survey period was 35 minutes late.
The average arrival of just the trains that were behind schedule was one hour and 17 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.
Traffic in August was somewhat impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, and by storms along the Gulf Coast. 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 August 2020 was as follows:
Date
Pct on-time arrival
Overall avg arrival
Avg arrival if late
Saturday, August 1 46 %
26 mins late
48 mins late
Sunday, August 2 65 %
18 mins late
53 mins late
Monday, August 3 50 %
53 mins late
1 hour, 45 mins late
Tuesday, August 4 43 %
1 hour, 14 mins late
2 hours, 9 mins late
Wednesday, August 5 40 %
44 mins late
1 hour, 13 mins late
Thursday, August 6 64 %
22 mins late
1 hour, 1 min late
Friday, August 7 61 %
22 mins late
58 mins late
Saturday, August 8 59 %
23 mins late
55 mins late
Sunday, August 9 70 %
20 mins late
1 hour, 7 mins late
Monday, August 10 55 %
22 mins late
49 mins late
Tuesday, August 11 57 %
33 mins late
1 hour, 16 mins late
Wednesday, August 12 40 %
57 mins late
1 hour, 36 mins late
Thursday, August 13 45 %
38 mins late
1 hour, 8 mins late
Friday, August 14 58 %
42 mins late
1 hour, 40 mins late
Saturday, August 15 34 %
43 mins late
1 hour, 6 mins late
Sunday, August 16 53 %
39 mins late
1 hour, 24 mins late
Monday, August 17 57 %
16 mins late
37 mins late
Tuesday, August 18 66 %
28 mins late
1 hour, 22 mins late
Wednesday, August 19 57 %
47 mins late
1 hour, 48 mins late
Thursday, August 20 52 %
32 mins late
1 hour, 6 mins late
Friday, August 21 58 %
35 mins late
1 hour, 23 mins late
Saturday, August 22 52 %
28 mins late
58 mins late
Sunday, August 23 69 %
42 mins late
2 hours, 14 mins late
Monday, August 24 59 %
24 mins late
57 mins late
Tuesday, August 25 52 %
25 mins late
52 mins late
Wednesday, August 26 64 %
14 mins late
38 mins late
Thursday, August 27 38 %
1 hour, 18 mins late
2 hours, 5 mins late
Friday, August 28 46 %
51 mins late
1 hour, 35 mins late
Saturday, August 29 59 %
43 mins late
1 hour, 44 mins late
Sunday, August 30 52 %
47 mins late
1 hour, 37 mins late
Monday, August 31 59 %
10 mins late
24 mins late
Composite for Month 54 %
35 mins late
1 hour, 17 mins late
Five-year comparison for August . . .
5-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 2020 Train-by-Train Performance . . .
Train
Pct on-time arrival
Overall avg arrival
Avg arrival if late
Auto Train 67 %
22 mins late
1 hour, 6 mins late
California Zephyr 23 %
2 hours, 13 mins late
2 hours, 52 mins late
Capitol Limited 35 %
39 mins late
1 hour late
Cardinal 44 %
29 mins late
52 mins late
Carolinian 66 %
7 mins late
21 mins late
City of New Orleans 82 %
18 mins late
1 hour, 38 mins late
Coast Starlight 71 %
20 mins late
1 hour, 9 mins late
Crescent 35 %
36 mins late
56 mins late
Empire Builder 72 %
22 mins late
1 hour, 17 mins late
Lake Shore Limited 47 %
29 mins late
56 mins late
Maple Leaf [no data]
.
.
Palmetto 58 %
11 mins late
25 mins late
Silver Meteor 58 %
41 mins late
1 hour, 38 mins late
Silver Star 52 %
46 mins late
1 hour, 35 mins late
Southwest Chief 66 %
27 mins late
1 hour, 20 mins late
Sunset Limited 29 %
59 mins late
1 hour, 22 mins late
Texas Eagle 35 %
52 mins late
1 hour, 20 mins late
Vermonter [no data]
.
.
Composite for Month 54 %
35 mins late
1 hour, 17 mins late
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