Japan is famous for the punctuality of its trains so when one departed 20 seconds early, the rail company (naturally) apologised.
The train, which was supposed to leave Minami-Nagareyama Station just north of Tokyo at 9.44am, had an unprecedented early departure.
According to SoraNews24, the management team at Tsukuba Express issued an official apology on the company’s website.
Impressed commuters took to social media to express their surprise, with some sharing the news with their local train operators.
I love how there was an apology in Japan for a train departing 20 seconds early 😂 in the UK the buses and trains are always late and all we get is grumpy, terrible service and are made to feel as an inconvenience🙁😒
— Sam (@SammyLouLou19) November 16, 2017
"Apology after Japanese train departs 20 seconds early".Read; weep; read; laugh. @networkrail @SW_Railway @SouthernRailUK
— Alastair Stewart (@alstewitn) November 16, 2017
rail company in japan says sorry for train leaving 20 seconds early wow now if only the uk could get a train to the station for it too leave on time that would be a miracle
— John/Double B Discos (@Johnnisbet8) November 16, 2017
Train is 20 seconds early leaving in Japan: "We are very sorry for our error."Train is 2 hours late in the UK: "At least it's not cancelled I guess…"
— Peter Grafton (@PeteGrafton) November 16, 2017
‘Train in Japan Departs 20 Seconds Too Early, Company Issues Grovelling Apology’
Bit like #uk then……..!
— box-bocs (@BoxBocs) November 16, 2017
Just heard on the news that although noon complained, Japan has apologised for a train leaving a station 20 seconds early.. Take note Britain.. haha
— Craaaaaiiiiigggg' (@Craigwfc94) November 16, 2017
A Japan train leaves 20 seconds earlier and Management sends an official apology for that. Let me just leave it here.
— RayMOND (@RaymondSiwale) November 16, 2017
So an apology was issued because a train in Japan left twenty seconds early
In the UK you barely get an apology even if half the trains are running
— Alex Berry (@yrrebRBLX) November 16, 2017
A train in Japan apologises for leaving 20 seconds early and here we just hope a train arrives in a15 minute radius of its scheduled time…normally on the later side
— Lucy Not Lucinda (@LucyNotLucinda) November 16, 2017
Japan is known to have one of the world’s most reliable railways where trains rarely depart at a different time to the one scheduled.
The mistake was believed to have happened because staff had not checked the timetable, and the company added that their error didn’t result in any customer complaints.
