A Japanese railroad has issued an apology the likes of which Big Apple straphangers are never likely to hear — regrets for a departure that was 20 seconds … early.
Officials at the Tsukuba Express line between Tokyo and the city of Tsukuba said they “sincerely apologize for the inconvenience” caused, according to the BBC.
The company said the train had been scheduled to depart at 9:44:40 — but left at 9:44:20.
The unfortunate error occurred because staff had not checked the timetable, the company said in a statement.
“The crew did not sufficiently check the departure time and performed the departure operation,” it said.
Passengers apparently appreciated the extra third of a minute because no one complained about the early departure from the Minami Nagareyama Station.
The Tsukuba Express line takes passengers from Akihabara in eastern Tokyo to Tsukuba in about 45 minutes.