Japanese Company Apologized after a Train Departed 20 Seconds Earlier

A Japanese railway company publishes an excuse after a train has departed of the platform 20 seconds earlier. The Tsukuba Express spokesperson has expressed "sincere apologies for the inconvenience" caused by the early departure of the Tokyo-Tsukuba train, the BBC said.

The company statement says that the vehicle was due to depart at 9:44:40 local time and not at 9:44:20. According to the company, the error occurred because the staff on the train did not check timetable. "The crew did not check the departure time enough and did not follow procedure," the message says.

It states that none of the passengers complained about the change. In Japan, the country with the most reliable rail transport, it is an extremely unusual train to depart at a different time. The Tokaido line, which connects the capital with the city of Kobe is the most crowded route in the world, with about 150 million passengers traveling each year.