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3-12 Amtrak On-Time Performance Trends and Hours of Delay by Cause: 2007-2010

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

3-12 Amtrak On-Time Performance Trends and Hours of Delay by Cause: 2007-2010

Excel | CSV

  2007 2008 2009 2010
On-time performance        
Total (weighted) 68.6% 71.2% 80.4% 79.7%
Short distance (<400 miles)a 72.2% 73.6% 81.1% 80.5%
Long distance (>400 miles) 39.5% 52.0% 75.5% 73.7%
Hours of delay by cause      
Totalb 101,655 94,566 79,304 79,976
Amtrakc 22,902 23,223 21,813 23,404
Host railroadd 72,565 64,724 46,842 44,090
Othere 6,187 6,618 10,648 12,482

a Includes all Amtrak Northeast Corridor and Empire Service (New York State) trains. b Numbers may not add to totals due to rounding. c Includes all delays when operating on Amtrak-owned tracks and delays for equipment or engine failure, passenger handling, holding for connections, train servicing, and mail/baggage handling when on tracks of a host railroad. d Includes all operating delays not attributable to Amtrak when operating on tracks of a host railroad (e.g., track- and signal-related delays, power failures, freight and commuter train interference, routing delays). e Includes delays not attributable to Amtrak or host railroads (e.g., customs and immigration, law enforcement action, weather, or waiting for scheduled departure time).

Notes: All percentages are based on Amtraks fiscal year (Oct. 1-Sept. 30). Host railroad is a freight or commuter railroad over which many Amtrak trains operate for all or part of their trips.

Amtrak trains are considered on time if the actual arrival time at the endpoint is within the minutes of scheduled arrival time as shown on the following chart. Trip length is based on the total distance traveled by that train from origin to destination:

Trip length (miles) Minutes late at endpoint
0-250 10 or less
251-350 15 or less
351-450 20 or less
451-550 25 or less
> 551 30 or less

Source: Amtrak, personal communication, October 2010.