Railway ‘deeply sorry’ after train leaves 20 seconds early

A Japanese railway operator has issued a deep apology for the “tremendous nuisance” caused by a train departing 20 seconds early, surprising even a nation renowned for both punctuality and politeness.

The Tsukuba Express train linking Tokyo and the capital’s northern suburbs pulled out of Minami Nagareyama Station at 09h44:20 instead of 09h44:40.

“We deeply apologise for causing tremendous nuisance to customers,” said the Tsukuba Express company.

“There was no complaint from customers over this incident,” said the firm, which added that no one missed the train because of the premature departure.

Japanese railway services, including shinkansen bullet trains, are famous for their world-beating punctuality.

Even the slightest delay prompts an effusive apology from the train guard, which often lasts longer than the hold-up itself.

With trains running the same route every few minutes to cope with huge numbers of passengers, even brief delays can back up the whole network causing overcrowding.

Stations in Tokyo employs dozens of staff – with their famous white gloves – to ensure the prompt departure of trains and to manage the crush during rush hour.

The bullet trains in Japan are also famed for their customer service, with one offering passengers an onboard foot bath to soothe their travelling woes.

The train firm said it was “surprised” by the attention the story was getting, saying “we have issued similar apologies for trains that departed earlier than scheduled before”.

“What matters is not the 20 seconds… The point is that our formal procedure should be this: A sound rings 15 seconds before the departure, followed by an announcement asking for caution due to the closing doors, and then the doors shut,” he said.

The apology had several social media users scratching their heads.

“This is surprising even to Japanese,” said one user with the handle @takamin_.

However, @cindy176 just commented: “Everyone should be more relaxed.”

In an age of information overload, Sunrise is The Namibian’s morning briefing, delivered at 6h00 from Monday to Friday. It offers a curated rundown of the most important stories from the past 24 hours – occasionally with a light, witty touch. It’s an essential way to stay informed. Subscribe and join our newsletter community.