Thank goodness!
Amtrak is now sharing it’s on-time performance data on the web to treat riders as equals. Too many transit agencies (and I count Amtrak as a transit agency for purposes of this blog) treat their internal data on ridership and performance as secret to be spun and manipulated. By releasing “dirty laundry” (as I’ve heard at least one transit agency official call potentially unflattering data like late trains or low ridership), the agency might turn off elected officials or community leaders. This is, of course, backwards.
Information wants to be free. And transit agencies particularly benefit from transparent data, since they depend on continued taxpayer investment to continue to generate such positive economic returns for the community. Sharing all data is a way to tell riders what to expect (a good thing), identify problems with late trains or buses (also a good thing) and generate goodwill among policymakers who don’t like agencies to stonewall.
If the train is consistently late, tell riders (particularly potential riders, who might not know). Every agency has some routes that run late. Tell the people! Let them plan out their trips with all relevant information! Don’t hide information.
Here’s what Amtrak is doing. Every agency should do something similar. (And Amtrak should break out each train by route, particularly with state-supported service in Illinois, but it’s a great step in the right direction).
We know that on-time performance is an important ingredient in fulfilling Amtrak’s quest for providing quality customer service. As many of you know, the tracks Amtrak trains travel outside of the Northeast Corridor are owned by various freight railroads. We offer this information as an opportunity for you to follow along as we work with those railroads on the path to improvement and to assist you in planning your trip.
City of New Orleans 58
(Chicago – Memphis – New Orleans)
| On-Time Performance |
| April 2008: 46.7% |
| Primary Cause of Delays |
Train Interference: 61.0%
|
Operational: 11.0%
|
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