Hello Reader,

Happy New Year!

If you missed the email last week, it was because I decided not to send it. I figured you had enough going on. But I am back.

Amtrak's On-Time Performance Holds Steady Systemwide

Amtrak's overall network held steady in November at 80.0% on-time performance, nearly identical to October's 80.1% and continuing to meet Amtrak's 80% standard. (For newcomers: Amtrak considers a train "on time" if it arrives within a set window of its scheduled arrival time, which varies by route length.)

While November's performance was solid, the broader picture shows room for improvement. The 12-month rolling average, which smooths out monthly fluctuations, rose from 75.3% to 75.6%. That means Amtrak has averaged below its goal over the past year, though the trend is improving.

Performance remained strongest on shorter routes. The Northeast Corridor led the network again with an 83.6% on-time rate, while state-supported corridor services came in close behind at 83.2%. Both categories comfortably exceeded Amtrak’s 80% standard and continue to anchor the system’s overall performance.

Among state-supported routes, the Hiawatha stood out with a 92.2% on-time rate in November, up from 89.8% in October. The short Chicago-Milwaukee service remains among Amtrak’s most reliable corridors.

Long-Distance Trains Show Modest Improvement

Long-distance routes, which have historically faced the most challenges, showed noticeable improvement in November. Systemwide on-time performance for long-distance trains rose from 61.5% in October to 64.7% in November. Although still well below Amtrak’s target, the month-over-month trend was positive.

Several routes posted meaningful gains:

• Texas Eagle: improved from 48.7% to 61.1%
• California Zephyr: climbed from 63.3% to 74.7%
• Southwest Chief: rose nearly 9 points to 47.4%
• Palmetto: increased to a strong 88.7%

Not every route improved. The Lake Shore Limited dipped from 84.5% to 77.3%, and the Auto Train slipped slightly after an unusually strong October. For the most part, it is no longer the Late Shore Limited.

Looking at the bigger picture, the 12-month rolling average for long-distance trains also improved, rising from 50.9% to 51.6%. It’s incremental progress, but progress nonetheless.

​Check out your favorite long-distance trains' performance.

What’s Still Causing Delays

Freight train interference remains the leading cause of delays, especially on long-distance routes. But Amtrak still needs to ensure trains depart their starting stations on time to improve performance.

What is Kev Up To?

The Saturday before Christmas, I played the organ for two 1910s silent films, "The Nativity," a French film about the birth of Christ, and the 1913 British "Mr. Scrooge" adaptation of A Christmas Carol. I improvised the soundtracks for both. Twenty-one people showed up despite my less-than-stellar marketing and the holiday parties in town competing for attention. Not bad at all, and the films were a perfect pairing for the season. It's one of my favorite kinds of gigs, and this one went really well.

Beyond that, it's been my usual church organist schedule, which has given me time to dig into the website. I'm reviewing older posts and updating them. In some cases, that means cutting a lot of text that no longer serves you well. I've improved explanations, reduced redundancy, and removed outdated details. You might notice some posts loading faster and reading more smoothly.

Happy New Year. I hope your 2026 is filled with travel and happiness.

Bringing things to a close

Thank you to Michael D. for clicking the green button below and sending a tip.

Thank you for your ongoing support. Your messages and other forms of encouragement mean a lot to me and help keep the website and newsletter running. I couldn't do it without you!

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Until Next Week!

Safe travels & Happy Planning,
Kev Monteith