Why Amtrak's On-Time Performance Is So Much Worse This Year - CityLab

[realizm]

 

ERIC JAFFE Jul 18, 2014

 

It's not just your imagination—Amtrak really has been delayed more than usual lately. According to the passenger rail corporation's latest monthly performance report, on-time arrival stands at roughly 74 percent for fiscal 2014 (which began in October 2013). That's down nearly 12 points from fiscal 2013, when Amtrak was on-time for 85 percent of its trips.

 

 

So what gives? Well, if you look closer at the above chart, you'll notice a clear dip between May and June of 2013. On-time performance fell from 83 percent to 76 percent between those months, and it's remained below the 80 percent-mark ever since.

 

What you're seeing is the aftermath of a U.S. Court of Appeals decision, issued June 2, 2013, that severely damaged Amtrak's leverage with the freight rail companies whose tracks it shares. Roughly 72 percent of all miles traveled by Amtrak occurs on tracks hosted by other rail providers. In 2008, as part of the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act, Congress gave Amtrak the power to penalize these providers for giving dispatch priority to freight trains using the same routes. The June 2013 decision called an end to that power, and likewise triggered the start of Amtrak's on-time performance decline.

 

In May 2014, for instance, host railroad delays accounted for roughly two-thirds of all Amtrak delays, according to Amtrak's performance report. Only 7 of Amtrak's 48 routes had a better on-time rate in May 2014 than in May 2013, before the ruling went into effect. Amtrak's latest report also shows that from June 2013 to May 2014, hosts have been responsible for 72 percent of Amtrak delays—with "freight train interference" the leading problem.

 

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[theaveragejoe]

Remember freight is up all across the board. All carriers are power and crew short, which means trains are stacking up around yards on the mainlines. Means delays and problems for Amtrak too.