SELECTED ON-TIME PERFORMANCE 3/25/21 THROUGH 4/23/21

Results for this period are:

TOTAL TRAINS = 624
ON TIME = 352 (56%)
LATE = 272 (44%)
AVERAGE DELAY = 41"

Of the late trains:
60% were 29" or less late;
20% were 30" to 59" late;
13% were 1' to 2' late;
7% were more than 2' late; and
<1% had no arrival time shown.

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

CAPITOL LIMITED
#29 - 38% - 46"
#30 - 15% - 1' 00"

CARDINAL (WAS)
#51 - 46% - 22"
#50 - 54% - 1' 10"

PENNSYLVANIAN
#43 - 17% - 23"
#42 - 53% - 17"

LAKE SHORE LIMITED
#49 - 46% - 43"
#48 - 62% - 1' 11"

LAKE SHORE LIMITED (BOSTON / ALBANY)
#449 - 67% - 36"
#448 - 17% - 1' 10"

CITY OF NEW ORLEANS
#59 - 100% - N/A
#58 - 85% - 53"

CRESCENT (WAS)
#19 - 0% - 2' 49"
#20 - 15% - 2' 00"

DETROIT CORRIDOR
(W) - 37% - 25"
(E) - 60% - 30"

ST. LOUIS CORRIDOR
(W) - 78% - 12"
(E) - 64% - 26"

BUFFALO CORRIDOR
(W) - 26% - 29"
(E) - 82% - 1' 11"

KANSAS CITY CORRIDOR
(W) - 90% - 15"
(E) - 77% - 41"

In spite of some slight betterment in this period, overall OT performance remained far below desirable levels. Services which showed improvement in both measured categories include the westbound Capitol Limited, Lakeshore Limited, and KCY Corridor and both directions of the Cardinal and the Pennsylvanian.

While some of the delays do not look that terrible, they are based only on the scheduled times and do not reflect the amount of padding therein. The best performing service is the City of New Orleans, but both Trains Nos. 58 & 59 include 2' 20" padding in their schedules. How many of us remember that the IC used to operate a double-daily 16' schedule with the Panama Limited and the old CNO?

The short corridors do not fare any better upon close examination. The STL Corridor schedules include 35" to 50" padding. Years prior to Amtrak, there were 5' schedules on the IC, GM&O, and WAB which Amtrak doesn't equal in spite of many millions spent to upgrade the corridor. (The inability to have 90 mph / 110 mph operations is mind-boggling considering that it existed in NY beginning in the late 1970's.)

A look at the performance of the Crescent is also revealing as the 2' 00"+ delays do not reflect the additional 2'+ padding in each direction. Indeed, #19 has not arrived OT at NOL in the last 120 trips.

As for the causes of the delays in this period:
AMTRAK EQ. = 28
HOST RR'S = 104
3RD PARTY = 9
WEATHER = 8
AMTK. HOLDS = 8
N.O.S. = 147

And so it goes, on and on. Given this record for only a small portion of the Amtrak network, how can anyone take the campaign for expanded Amtrak services seriously?

In response to an off-line comment:

If you doubt the extent of the padding, simply go to one of the sites that provides tracking of a train (such as Dixieland Amtrak) and count up the actual recovery times. Referring to the City of New Orleans, you will easily find well over 2' of padding.

Schedule padding really shows up on the Crescent between CLT and Greensboro / Danville. For the Crescent arriving NOL tonight it left Danville :37 late Greensboro :27 late and arrived CLT :05 early. That is for last night :42 padding. CLT scheduled for 25 minutes stop and often makes it in :15 or less. So you get almost an hour of padding possible. 92 miles CLT - Greensboro scheduled 1:58. Carolinian gets 1:35 and Piedmonts get 1:31 schedules. That IMO is result of NC DOT improvements to the line including all 2 Main Tracks -- MTs.

Then arrived ATL :30 late and left :38 late. ATL's 25 station stop is tight whenever passenger loads are heavy due to the many impediments discussed elsewhere. Arrived 2:49 late and departed 2:41 late making a :10 minute stop. Meridian arrived 3:14 late arrived Picayune 3:34 late. Slidell 3:41 late NOL. There is at least 1 drawbridge in NOL and may be more ? ?

NOL EDIT later.