Trains departing from Grand Central Station in New York City are delayed by one minute to allow commuters to catch their train. This has been a secret for decades, with conductors having the option to depart at the scheduled time if no one is waiting. Grand Central Terminal, as it is actually called, took 10 years to build and sees 750,000 people pass through its doors each day.
New York City is one of the busiest places on Earth, but it might also be one of the most thoughtful of that fact. According to The New York Times, every commuter train that departs from famed Grand Central Station departs one minute later than scheduled, giving those stuck in traffic or just running late an extra 60 seconds to catch their train. Considering the fact that around 900 trains leave the station every day, this is a big break and a big commitment. For decades, employees have been given “real” departure times, and the secret has been kept that way for good reason: If passengers knew they had an extra minute, they might slow down and — ouch — miss the train anyway. And before you start planning to arrive a minute late, keep one thing in mind: Train conductors have the option of departing at their publicly scheduled time if no one is waiting on the platform.
Great facts about Grand Central:
Grand Central Station is a misnomer; the real name of the station is Grand Central Terminal.
It took 10 years to build the train station, designed in the Beaux-Arts architectural style.
The 48-acre station sees 750,000 people pass through its doors each day to depart from one of its 44 platforms.
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