SELECTED ON-TIME PERFORMANCE 2-23-21 THROUGH 3-24-21

Results for this period are:

TOTAL TRAINS = 621
ON TIME = 335 (54%)
LATE = 286 (46%)
AVERAGE DELAY = 49"

Of the late trains:
52% were 29" or less late;
22% were 30" to 59" late;
17% were 1' to 2' late;
9% were more than 2' late; and
<1% had no arrival time shown.

BY ROUTE, WITH ON-TIME % AND AVERAGE DELAY:

CAPITOL LIMITED
#29 - 8% - 1' 29"
#30 - 23% - 1' 20"

CARDINAL (WAS)
#51 - 42% - 42"
#50 - 42% - 1' 13"

PENNSYLVANIAN
#43 - 14% - 42"
#42 - 45% - 26"

LAKE SHORE LIMITED
#49 - 25% - 1' 27"
#48 - 62% - 35"

LAKE SHORE LIMITED (BOSTON / ALBANY)
#449 - 69% - 15"
#448 - 15% - 55"

CITY OF NEW ORLEANS
#59 - 62% - 1' 58"
#58 - 67% - 37"

CRESCENT (WAS)
#19 -0% - 2' 42"
#20 - 15% - 1' 34"

DETROIT CORRIDOR
(W) - 20% - 24"
(E) - 73% - 24"

ST. LOUIS CORRIDOR
(W) - 79% - 46"
(E) - 66% - 34"

BUFFALO CORRIDOR
(W) - 33% - 24"
(E) - 84% - 24"

KANSAS CITY CORRIDOR
(W) - 80% - 1' 06"
(E) - 70% - 28"

Only the eastbound STL Corridor and both directions of the DET and BUF Corridors showed improvement in both measured parameters.

Of the delays recorded through the Amtrak Twitter sites:
Amtrak Equipment = 30 Host RR = 121 3rd Party = 20 Weather = 3 Amtk Holds = 8 N.O.S.= 184
(NOTE: These are not all of the delays encountered but only those of 30" or more in a short time span. Where a train loses
time progressively on its run, that is not included. Also, the counted delays are only for the selected services and not for the entire system.)

While some services have comparable figures for both directions, several services do not. Check the difference by direction for the Capitol Limited, Lake Shore Limited, Pennsylvanian, and DET and BUF Corridors.

Also, when one considers the amount of padding in many schedules, the actual performance is terrible and shows no signs of lasting improvement..

In response to an off-line query, the delay category of "Host Carrier" includes Amtrak as well as other carriers. That is necessary because the Amtrak Twitter delay site does not separate or identify whether delays occur on Amtrak owned trackage or not. This situation occurs on both the DET and BUF Corridors.

Also, the "NOS" account remains very high because Amtrak will show a delay of X" without indicating a cause.

Again, the delay totals reflect only some of the delays on the selected services. Heck, even some lengthy delays are not reported if there is sufficient padding in the schedules so that an OT arrival is possible.

TOTAL TRAINS = 621
ON TIME = 335 (54%)
LATE = 286 (46%)
AVERAGE DELAY = 49"

From https://www.transportation.gov/sites/do ... 20ATCR.pdf
See Table 1 for January 2021
PERCENT OF ON-TIME ARRIVALS for ALL MAJOR US airlines was 89%

For people other than railfans to actually want to ride trains, 46% late is a big negative. People actually WANT to arrive on time.

And that 46% figure is the overall figure; look at the services which are 25% or less OT (Capitol Limited, BOS section of the Lake Shore Limited, WB DET Corridor).

Also, if you check the times at intermediate stations on various routes, the late figure in some cases approaches 100%. Only the extensive schedule padding allows an OT arrival at the final terminal. Some trains such as both directions of the City of New Orleans have 2'+ padding in the schedules.