Results for this period are:
TOTAL TRAINS = 1057
ON TIME = 274 (26%)
LATE = 783 (74%)
AVERAGE DELAY = 55"
Only scheduled arrival times were used; no "grace" period was allowed.
Of the late trains:
350 (45%) were 29" or less late;
173 (22%) were 30" to 59" late;
149 (19%) were 1' to 2' late;
95 (12%) were more than 2' late; and
16 (2%) had no arrival times shown.
BY ROUTE, WITH O.T.% AND AVG. DELAY:
CAPITOL LIMITED
#29 - 13% - 1' 10"
#30 - 10% - 1' 44"
CARDINAL
#51 - 23% - 44"
#50 - 25% - 2' 11"
PENNSYLVANIAN
#43 - 38% - 40"
(E) - 45% - 19"
LAKE SHORE LIMITED
#49 - 17% - 1' 25"
#48 - 0% - 1' 37"
LAKE SHORE LIMITED (BOSTON / ALBANY)
#449 - 72% - 17"
#448 - 21% - 1' 41"
CITY OF NEW ORLEANS
#59 - 83% - 50"
#58 - 46% - 30"
CRESCENT
#19 - 3% - 1' 35"
#20 - 40% - 1' 14"
DETROIT CORRIDOR
(W) - 29% -34"
(E) - 11% - 34"
ST. LOUIS CORRIDOR
(W) - 14% - 51"
(E) - 19% - 58"
SYRACUSE CORRIDOR
(W) - 37% - 25"
(E) - 27% - 1' 00"
The total number of trains was reduced due to the severe weather which disrupted the St. Louis Corridor. However, despite the slow recovery for this route, the on-time performance for all services monitored rose from 17% to 26% with only a 4" increase in the average delay. 67% of the late trains were less than 1' late, while the number of trains more than 1' late declined from 276 to 244.
Services which improved in both categories include the westbound Capitol Limited, Cardinal, and Lake Shore Limited; eastbound Pennsylvanian; southbound City of New Orleans; and both directions of the Boston connection of the Lake Shore Limited and of the Detroit Corridor.
The only service to lose ground in both categories was the westbound Pennsylvanian, something that is hard to understand considering the 45"+ of padding between Altoona and Pittsburgh.
The trains with the fewest on-time arrivals other than the Lake Shore Limited were #21 (westbound Texas Eagle) of the St. Louis Corridor and #352 of the eastbound Detroit Corridor with 1 each, and #352 of the eastbound Detroit Corridor with 2.
At least 41 trains departed their initial terminals too late to permit an on-time arrival.
Of the trains more than 2' late, the Lake Shore Limited had 16, the Capitol Limited 13, the Crescent 10, and the Cardinal 3.
The low performance of the westbound Cardinal is puzzling given the 30" or more of padding on the ex-C&O portion of the route combined with the 1' 45" dwell time at Indianapolis. For whatever reason, both directions of this service consistently lose time between Cincinnati and Dyer. Perhaps one of the readers can provide some insight on the problems of this route.
Overall, while some gains were achieved in this period, there is still much improvement to be made on a consistent basis before Amtrak achieves an acceptable and reliable level of performance.
