Amtrak's Long-Distance Train Performance
October 2020
For the month of October 2020, the Bull Sheet has calculated that 55 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 30 minutes late.
The average arrival of just those trains that were behind schedule was one hour and six 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 likely differ.
Traffic in October 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. Moreover, frequencies were reduced on a number of trains from daily to three or four days a week. 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 October 2020 was as follows:
Date
Pct on-time arrival
Overall avg arrival
Avg arrival if late
Thursday, October 1 62 %
18 mins late
49 mins late
Friday, October 2 58 %
25 mins late
59 mins late
Saturday, October 3 86 %
6 mins late
42 mins late
Sunday, October 4 62 %
23 mins late
1 hour late
Monday, October 5 48 %
26 mins late
51 mins late
Tuesday, October 6 56 %
32 mins late
1 hour, 12 mins late
Wednesday, October 7 39 %
54 mins late
1 hour, 28 mins late
Thursday, October 8 54 %
45 mins late
1 hour, 38 mins late
Friday, October 9 56 %
17 mins late
38 mins late
Saturday, October 10 52 %
32 mins late
1 hour, 9 mins late
Sunday, October 11 64 %
19 mins late
53 mins late
Monday, October 12 50 %
25 mins late
50 mins late
Tuesday, October 13 35 %
59 mins late
1 hour, 31 mins late
Wednesday, October 14 72 %
33 mins late
1 hour, 59 mins late
Thursday, October 15 68 %
37 mins late
1 hour, 57 mins late
Friday, October 16 40 %
1 hour, 12 mins late
2 hours, 1 min late
Saturday, October 17 45 %
44 mins late
1 hour, 20 mins late
Sunday, October 18 39 %
20 mins late
32 mins late
Monday, October 19 74 %
15 mins late
57 mins late
Tuesday, October 20 56 %
20 mins late
45 mins late
Wednesday, October 21 71 %
10 mins late
33 mins late
Thursday, October 22 56 %
23 mins late
52 mins late
Friday, October 23 63 %
20 mins late
53 mins late
Saturday, October 24 52 %
45 mins late
1 hour, 35 mins late
Sunday, October 25 57 %
12 mins late
35 mins late
Monday, October 26 61 %
49 mins late
2 hours, 5 mins late
Tuesday, October 27 75 %
8 mins late
34 mins late
Wednesday, October 28 38 %
38 mins late
1 hour late
Thursday, October 29 47 %
36 mins late
1 hour, 7 mins late
Friday, October 30 21 %
31 mins late
39 mins late
Saturday, October 31 43 %
23 mins late
40 mins late
Composite for Month 55 %
30 mins late
1 hour, 6 mins late
Five-year comparison for October . . .
5-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 2020 Train-by-Train Performance . . .
Train
Pct on-time arrival
Overall avg arrival
Avg arrival if late
Auto Train 60 %
1 hour, 1 min late
2 hours, 31 mins late
California Zephyr 67 %
37 mins late
1 hour, 52 mins late
Capitol Limited 41 %
14 mins late
24 mins late
Cardinal 41 %
25 mins late
43 mins late
Carolinian 71 %
6 mins late
21 mins late
City of New Orleans 82 %
9 mins late
48 mins late
Coast Starlight 56 %
18 mins late
40 mins late
Crescent 46 %
35 mins late
1 hour, 5 mins late
Empire Builder 57 %
33 mins late
1 hour, 16 mins late
Lake Shore Limited 54 %
22 mins late
48 mins late
Maple Leaf [no data]
.
.
Palmetto 55 %
12 mins late
27 mins late
Silver Meteor 57 %
22 mins late
52 mins late
Silver Star 30 %
37 mins late
52 mins late
Southwest Chief 52 %
57 mins late
2 hours late
Sunset Limited 15 %
1 hour, 16 mins late
1 hour, 29 mins late
Texas Eagle 63 %
24 mins late
1 hour, 6 mins late
Vermonter [no data]
.
.
Composite for Month 55 %
30 mins late
1 hour, 6 mins late
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