Amtrak's Long-Distance Train Performance
April 2021
Forty-two percent of Amtrak's named long-distance trains arrived at their final destination on time or earlier in April 2021.
The average arrival of all long-distance trains in the survey period was 39 minutes late.
The average arrival of just those trains that were behind schedule was one hour and seven 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.
Average daily long-distance train performance in April 2021 was as follows:
Date
Pct on-time arrival
Overall avg arrival
Avg arrival if late
Thursday, April 1 23 %
44 mins late
57 mins late
Friday, April 2 47 %
31 mins late
58 mins late
Saturday, April 3 48 %
25 mins late
48 mins late
Easter 57 %
13 mins late
31 mins late
Monday, April 5 48 %
35 mins late
1 hour, 8 mins late
Tuesday, April 6 54 %
20 mins late
44 mins late
Wednesday, April 7 24 %
1 hour, 10 mins late
1 hour, 32 mins late
Thursday, April 8 31 %
50 mins late
1 hour, 12 mins late
Friday, April 9 31 %
49 mins late
1 hour, 11 mins late
Saturday, April 10 24 %
1 hour, 3 mins late
1 hour, 23 mins late
Sunday, April 11 57 %
25 mins late
58 mins late
Monday, April 12 43 %
24 mins late
43 mins late
Tuesday, April 13 54 %
14 mins late
31 mins late
Wednesday, April 14 41 %
40 mins late
1 hour, 7 mins late
Thursday, April 15 31 %
50 mins late
1 hour, 13 mins late
Friday, April 16 56 %
21 mins late
48 mins late
Saturday, April 17 38 %
48 mins late
1 hour, 17 mins late
Sunday, April 18 79 %
8 mins late
36 mins late
Monday, April 19 57 %
25 mins late
57 mins late
Tuesday, April 20 46 %
11 mins late
21 mins late
Wednesday, April 21 35 %
1 hour, 6 mins late
1 hour, 42 mins late
Thursday, April 22 31 %
44 mins late
1 hour, 4 mins late
Friday, April 23 44 %
1 hour, 11 mins late
2 hours, 6 mins late
Saturday, April 24 33 %
43 mins late
1 hour, 4 mins late
Sunday, April 25 50 %
19 mins late
38 mins late
Monday, April 26 65 %
18 mins late
53 mins late
Tuesday, April 27 38 %
28 mins late
46 mins late
Wednesday, April 28 6 %
1 hour late
1 hour, 4 mins late
Thursday, April 29 50 %
42 mins late
1 hour, 23 mins late
Friday, April 30 25 %
1 hour, 36 mins late
2 hours, 7 mins late
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.
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Composite for Month 42 %
39 mins late
1 hour, 7 mins late
Six-year comparison for April . . .
6-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 2021 42 %
39 mins late
1 hour, 7 mins late
April 2021 Train-by-Train Performance . . .
Train
Pct on-time arrival
Overall avg arrival
Avg arrival if late
Auto Train 50 %
32 mins late
1 hour, 4 mins late
California Zephyr 69 %
23 mins late
1 hour, 16 mins late
Capitol Limited 23 %
36 mins late
47 mins late
Cardinal 62 %
19 mins late
50 mins late
Carolinian 47 %
27 mins late
51 mins late
City of New Orleans 88 %
4 mins late
37 mins late
Coast Starlight 46 %
20 mins late
37 mins late
Crescent 12 %
1 hour, 35 mins late
1 hour, 47 mins late
Empire Builder 35 %
56 mins late
1 hour, 26 mins late
Lake Shore Limited 46 %
20 mins late
37 mins late
Maple Leaf [no data]
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.
Palmetto 13 %
37 mins late
42 mins late
Silver Meteor 34 %
39 mins late
1 hour late
Silver Star 24 %
1 hour, 4 mins late
1 hour, 24 mins late
Southwest Chief 32 %
50 mins late
1 hour, 13 mins late
Sunset Limited 19 %
1 hour, 42 mins late
2 hours, 6 mins late
Texas Eagle 58 %
27 mins late
1 hour, 4 mins late
Vermonter [no data]
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.
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2021 Year-to-Date Standings - Percentage On-Time Arrival
Train |
Pct on-time arrival |
| City of New Orleans | 83 % |
| Carolinian | 64 % |
| Texas Eagle | 62 % |
| California Zephyr | 58 % |
| Empire Builder | 58 % |
| Auto Train | 55 % |
| Coast Starlight | 52 % |
| Silver Meteor | 47 % |
| Palmetto | 45 % |
| Cardinal | 44 % |
| Lake Shore Limited | 38 % |
| Southwest Chief | 35 % |
| Silver Star | 33 % |
| Capitol Limited | 18 % |
| Sunset Limited | 17 % |
| Crescent | 13 % |
2021 Year-to-Date Standings - Overall Average Arrival
Train |
Overall avg arrival |
| City of New Orleans | 11 mins late |
| Carolinian | 20 mins late |
| Texas Eagle | 29 mins late |
| Silver Meteor | 32 mins late |
| Cardinal | 33 mins late |
| Palmetto | 34 mins late |
| Lake Shore Limited | 36 mins late |
| Empire Builder | 41 mins late |
| Auto Train | 43 mins late |
| Coast Starlight | 44 mins late |
| California Zephyr | 52 mins late |
| Capitol Limited | 53 mins late |
| Southwest Chief | 53 mins late |
| Silver Star | 1 hour, 17 mins late |
| Sunset Limited | 1 hour, 32 mins late |
| Crescent | 1 hour, 45 mins late |
2021 Year-to-Date Standings - Average Arrival, Only When Late
Train |
Avg arrival when late |
| Carolinian | 55 mins late |
| Lake Shore Limited | 58 mins late |
| Cardinal | 59 mins late |
| Silver Meteor | 1 hour late |
| Palmetto | 1 hour, 2 mins late |
| City of New Orleans | 1 hour, 2 mins late |
| Capitol Limited | 1 hour, 4 mins late |
| Texas Eagle | 1 hour, 18 mins late |
| Southwest Chief | 1 hour, 22 mins late |
| Coast Starlight | 1 hour, 33 mins late |
| Auto Train | 1 hour, 35 mins late |
| Empire Builder | 1 hour, 38 mins late |
| Sunset Limited | 1 hour, 42 mins late |
| Silver Star | 1 hour, 45 mins late |
| Crescent | 2 hours, 1 min late |
| California Zephyr | 2 hours, 4 mins late |