Amtrak Cascades - On-time performance

2022

Amtrak Cascades' on-time performance declines

Washington's Amtrak Cascades trains were on time 47% of the time in 2022, down from 51% in 2021.

Amtrak Cascades trains between Portland and Seattle experienced 1,320 hours of delays, which negatively impacted on-time performance in 2022. Although train delays are separated into 25 categories, 45% of all delay hours were due to three causes:

• Slowdowns due to congestion, raised bridges, and weather caused 17.7% (234 hours) of delay.
• Freight train interference caused 17.2% (227 hours) of delay.
• Passenger train interference caused 10.1% (133 hours) of delay.

The on-time reliability goal of 88% is being tracked in accordance with contracts that WSDOT negotiated with BNSF, Amtrak and Sound Transit in 2018. The agencies use a shared database system to report delays, assign responsibility, and indicate that corrective actions are required if the goal is not reached.

Because BNSF dispatchers in Fort Worth, Texas determine the movement of both freight and passenger trains along the Amtrak Cascades corridor, the company is tasked with minimizing delays due to train interference. In keeping with contractual commitments, WSDOT requires BNSF to submit corrective action plans to mitigate these other delays that are under its purview.

2021

Amtrak Cascades' on-time performance declines

Washington's Amtrak Cascades trains were on time 51% of the time in 2021, down from 62% in 2020 and 58% in 2019. Amtrak Cascades' on-time performance goal is 88%—as contractually negotiated by WSDOT, Amtrak, and BNSF in 2018—but it has not yet been achieved.

Amtrak Cascades trains between Portland and Seattle (the portion of the Amtrak Cascades corridor which WSDOT oversees and that was operating in 2021) experienced 50,578 minutes (over 842 hours) of delay, which negatively impacted on-time performance. Although each minute of train delay is separated into one of 25 categories, 45% of all delay minutes were due to three causes:

• Freight train interference caused 23% (11,653 minutes) of delay
• Slow speed restrictions due to track conditions including congestion, raised bridges and weather caused more than 12.1% (6,141 minutes) of delay
• Signal delays accounted for 10.1% (5,093 minutes) of the delay

The on-time reliability goal of 88% is being tracked in accordance with contracts that WSDOT negotiated with BNSF, Amtrak and Sound Transit. The agencies use a shared database system to report delays, assign responsibility, and indicate that corrective actions are required if the goal is not reached.

Because BNSF dispatchers in Fort Worth, Texas determine the movement of both freight and passenger trains along the Amtrak Cascades corridor, the company is tasked with minimizing delays due to train interference. In keeping with contractual commitments, WSDOT requires BNSF to submit corrective action plans to mitigate these other delays that are under its purview.

2020

Amtrak Cascades' on-time performance improves

Washington's Amtrak Cascades trains were on time 62% of the time in 2020, up from 58% in 2019. In 2018, Amtrak Cascades' on-time performance goal was changed from 80% to 88%. This goal was contractually negotiated by WSDOT, Amtrak, and BNSF.

Amtrak Cascades trains between Portland and Vancouver, British Columbia (the portion of the Amtrak Cascades corridor which WSDOT oversees) experienced 34,964 minutes (over 582 hours) of delay in 2020, which negatively impacted on-time performance. Although each minute of train delay is separated into one of 25 categories, 48% of all delay minutes were due to three causes:

• Slow speed restrictions due to track conditions including congestion, raised bridges and weather caused more than 19.6% (6,865 minutes) of delay
• Freight train interference caused 17.1% (5,970 minutes) of delay
• Passenger train interference accounted for 11.1% (3,888 minutes) of the delay

The on-time reliability goal of 88% is being tracked and enforced in accordance with contracts that WSDOT negotiated with BNSF, Amtrak and Sound Transit. The agencies use a shared database system to report delays, assign responsibility, and indicate that corrective actions are required if the goal is not reached.

Because BNSF dispatchers in Fort Worth, Texas determine the movement of both freight and passenger trains along the Amtrak Cascades corridor, the company is tasked with minimizing delays due to train interference. In keeping with contractual commitments, WSDOT requires BNSF to submit corrective action plans for mitigating these and other delays that are under its purview.

2019

Amtrak Cascades' on-time performance misses goal

Washington's Amtrak Cascades trains were on time 58% of the time in 2019, up from 50% in 2018 (see chart on p. 18). In 2018, Amtrak Cascades' on-time performance goal was changed from 80% to 88%. This goal was contractually negotiated by WSDOT, Amtrak, and BNSF.

Amtrak Cascades trains between Portland, Oregon and Vancouver, British Columbia (the portion of the Amtrak Cascades corridor which WSDOT oversees) experienced 133,312 minutes (over 2,221 hours) of delay in 2019, which negatively

impacted on-time performance. Although each minute of delay fell into one of 25 separate categories, more than 50% of delay minutes were due to three causes:

• Slow speed restrictions due to track conditions including congestion, raised bridges and weather caused more than 18.7% (24,876 minutes) of delay
• Freight train interference (see box at left) caused 15.3% (20,439 minutes) of delay
• Passenger train interference accounted for 12.9% (17,246 minutes) of the delay

The on-time reliability goal of 88% is being tracked and enforced in accordance with contracts that WSDOT negotiated with BNSF, Amtrak and Sound Transit. The agencies use a shared database system to report delays, assign responsibility, and indicate that corrective actions are required if the goal is not reached.

Because BNSF dispatchers in Fort Worth, Texas determine the movement of both freight and passenger trains along the Amtrak Cascades corridor, the company is tasked with minimizing delays due to train interference. In keeping with contractual commitments, WSDOT requires BNSF to submit corrective action plans for mitigating these and other delays that are under its purview.

2018

Amtrak Cascades on-time performance comes up short of goal in fiscal year 2018

Washington's Amtrak Cascades trains were on time 53.9% of the time in FY2018 (July 2017 through June 2018), down from 56.3% in FY2017. As of FY2018, Amtrak Cascades' on-time performance goal is 88%. This goal was contractually negotiated by WSDOT, Amtrak, and BNSF.

Speed restrictions, train interference top causes of delays affecting Amtrak Cascades on-time performance in FY2018

During FY2018, Amtrak Cascades trains between Portland, Oregon and Vancouver, British Columbia (the portion of the Amtrak Cascades corridor which WSDOT oversees) experienced 155,316 minutes of delay, which negatively impacted on-time performance. Although these delays fell into over 25 separate categories, more than 50% of delay minutes were due to three causes:

• Slow speed restrictions due to track conditions including congestion, raised bridges and weather caused more than 21.4% (33,000 minutes) of delay
• Freight train interference caused 16.8% (26,092 minutes) of the delay
• Passenger train interference accounted for 11.8% (19,339 minutes) of the delay

Train interference delays occur when two trains try to use the same section of track, forcing one train to slow or wait on a siding (a short piece of track off the main line) while the other train passes. Additionally, when one train is delayed and operating outside its allotted time slot, it can affect all other trains operating in the corridor.

BNSF dispatchers in Fort Worth, Texas determine the movement of both freight and passenger trains along the Amtrak Cascades corridor, and are tasked with minimizing delays due to train interference. In keeping with contractual commitments, WSDOT is requiring BNSF to submit corrective action plans for mitigating these and other delays that are under its purview.

Amtrak Cascades sets new goal of 88% on time

With the 2017 completion of WSDOT's federally-funded rail capital improvement projects, Amtrak Cascades now operates with a goal of 88% on-time reliability. This new goal was one of three service outcomes tied to the federal funding.

The others—two additional roundtrips between Seattle and Portland and a 10-minute travel time savings between the two cities— were delayed as a result of the December 2017 derailment on the new Point Defiance Bypass.

However, the on-time reliability goal is in effect and being enforced in keeping with contracts that WSDOT negotiated with BNSF, Amtrak and Sound Transit. The agencies use a shared database system to report delays; assign responsibility; and indicate that corrective actions are required if the goal is not reached.