The statistic depicts Amtrak's most punctual routes for the 12 months ending September 2017, ranked by on-time performance. In the last 12 months, Amtrak's Hiawatha route between Milwaukee and Chicago, was the most punctual route with 95 percent of its trains arriving on time at the end point.
Amtrak's flagship - Acela Express
The Acela Express is Amtrak’s most distinctive Northeast Corridor’s rail service, traveling between Washington, DC and Boston with 14 intermediate stops including Baltimore, Philadelphia and New York City’s busiest rail hub, New York Penn Station. The name originates from the combination of the words “acceleration” and “excellence".
The planning for a high-speed rail service started in the early 90’s with the manufacturing of 20 Acela Express high-speed trainsets for traveling over the Northeast Corridor (NEC) infrastructure. The trains reach a maximum speed of 150 mph on the 35 miles section between Boston and New Haven. The Acela Express made its first appearance on December 11, 2000, and since then more than 43 million passengers have traveled on one of Acela’s high-speed trains. In the fiscal year of 2016, Acela trains recorded close to 3.5 million passengers.
The fiscal year of 2017 (October 2016 to September 2017) was Amtrak’s seventh consecutive year with more than 30 million passengers traveling onboard its trains. That year, Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor (NEC) was one of the most-traveled segments in North America, with 12 million passengers (out of a total of 31.7 million).
Amtrak's most punctual routes from October 2016 to September 2017, ranked by on-time performance
Characteristic
Share of punctual trains
Hiawatha, Milwaukee-Chicago
95%
Capitol Corridor, Auburn-Sacramento-Emeryville- Oakland-San Jose
91%
Keystone, New York-Philadelphia-Harrisburg
86%
Empire Service, New York-Albany-Syracuse- Rochester-Buffalo-Niagara Falls
84%
Ethan Allen Express, Rutland-Albany-New York
81%
Missouri River Runner, St. Louis-Jefferson City- Kansas City
81%
Pennsylvanian, New York-Pittsburgh
81%
Heartland Flyer, Oklahoma City-Fort Worth
78%
Northeast Regional*
77%
San Joaquins, San Francisco Bay Area/ Sacramento - Bakersfield/ Southern California
77%
Acela Express**
76%
Maple Leaf, Toronto-Niagara Falls New York
75%
Hoosier State, Indianapolis-Chicago
73%
Downeaster, Brunswick-Portland-Boston
72%
Vermonter, St.Albans-Burlington-Springfield- New York-Washington, DC
On-time performance is calculated by dividing the number of trains arriving on time at the end-point by the total number of trains operated on the route.
To retrieve the data click on the route name.
* Northeast Regional travels on the following route: Boston-Providence-Hartford-New York-Washington-Lynchburg-Petersburg-Norfolk-Virginia Beach.
** Acela Express travels on the following route: Boston-New Haven-New York-Philadelphia-Baltimore-Washington.
Profit from the additional features of your individual account
Currently, you are using a shared account. To use individual functions (e.g., mark statistics as favourites, set
statistic alerts) please log in with your personal account.
If you are an admin, please authenticate by logging in again.
Learn more about how Statista can support your business.
Amtrak. (March 14, 2018). Amtrak's most punctual routes from October 2016 to September 2017, ranked by on-time performance [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved February 06, 2025, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/554297/amtrak-routes-on-time-performance/?__sso_cookie_checker=failed
Amtrak. "Amtrak's most punctual routes from October 2016 to September 2017, ranked by on-time performance." Chart. March 14, 2018. Statista. Accessed February 06, 2025. https://www.statista.com/statistics/554297/amtrak-routes-on-time-performance/?__sso_cookie_checker=failed
Amtrak. (2018). Amtrak's most punctual routes from October 2016 to September 2017, ranked by on-time performance. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: February 06, 2025. https://www.statista.com/statistics/554297/amtrak-routes-on-time-performance/?__sso_cookie_checker=failed
Amtrak. "Amtrak's Most Punctual Routes from October 2016 to September 2017, Ranked by On-time Performance." Statista, Statista Inc., 14 Mar 2018, https://www.statista.com/statistics/554297/amtrak-routes-on-time-performance/?__sso_cookie_checker=failed
Amtrak, Amtrak's most punctual routes from October 2016 to September 2017, ranked by on-time performance Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/554297/amtrak-routes-on-time-performance/?__sso_cookie_checker=failed (last visited February 06, 2025)
Amtrak's most punctual routes from October 2016 to September 2017, ranked by on-time performance [Graph], Amtrak, March 14, 2018. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/554297/amtrak-routes-on-time-performance/?__sso_cookie_checker=failed