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Apology after Japanese train leaves 20 seconds early

Train Punctuality - Level 4

Japan's trains are famous for their punctuality. Japan's rail network is the envy of the world. You can set your watch by Japanese trains. Most rail companies apologize when trains are delayed or cancelled trains. However, the operators of a Tokyo train apologized for one of its trains leaving 20 seconds too early. The high-speed train left a station earlier than scheduled because staff did not check the departure timetable. There were no complaints from passengers.

The Tsukuba Express company said its crew failed to accurately perform the departure operations. It "deeply" apologized for the "severe inconvenience" caused, even though the next train was just four minutes later. A Twitter user wrote the apology was, "one of the best things about Japan". A UK commuter tweeted about British trains being late. He said: "You don't get an apology from any major UK train company until they're over 2 hours late."

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Train Punctuality - Level 5

Japan's trains are renowned for their punctuality. People say Japan's rail network is the envy of the world. Others say you can set your watch by a Japanese train's departure. Most rail companies apologize to passengers for delayed or cancelled trains. However, the operators of a Tokyo express train apologized for one of its trains leaving 20 seconds too early on Tuesday. The high-speed train pulled out of a station earlier than scheduled when staff failed to check the departure timetable. The company said it had not received any complaints from passengers.

The Tsukuba Express company said the train crew failed to accurately perform the departure operations. It made a statement that read it "deeply" apologized for the "severe inconvenience" caused to passengers, even though the next train was just four minutes later. Someone on Twitter wrote: "Tokyo train company's apology for 20-second-early departure is one of the best things about Japan." A UK commuter tweeted: "They apologize for being 20 seconds early, and yet you don't get an apology from any major UK train company until they're over 2 hours late."

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Train Punctuality - Level 6

Train companies in Japan are renowned for their punctuality. Many people claim Japan's rail network is the envy of the world. Others say you can set your own watch using a Japanese train's departure. Most rail companies around the world apologize to passengers for delayed trains or cancellations. However, the operators of Tokyo's Tsukuba Express line apologized for one of its trains leaving 20 seconds too early on Tuesday. According to the apology, the high-speed train pulled out of a station 20 seconds earlier than scheduled due to staff members failing to check the departure timetable. Even though the company issued the apology, it said it had not received any complaints from passengers.

Bosses of the Tsukuba Express said the train crew did not sufficiently check the departure time and failed to accurately perform the departure operations. The company made a statement in Japanese on its website. It "deeply" apologized for the "severe inconvenience" caused to passengers who missed the scheduled train, even though the next train was just four minutes later. Many people tweeted about the apology. One tweet read: "Tokyo train company's apology for 20-second-early departure is one of the best things about Japan." A UK commuter tweeted: "They apologize for being 20 seconds early, and yet you don't get an apology from any major UK train company until they're over 2 hours late."

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