Learning which trains run express and which stop everywhere
Launch library · evergreen read
Not every train on a given line makes every stop, and working out which service to catch can save a surprising amount of time on a longer commute. Locals learn this distinction quickly, since boarding the wrong one can add many extra minutes to an otherwise simple trip.
Platform screens and announcements usually spell out which stations a service will skip, but seasoned commuters often know the pattern from memory, timing their arrival on the platform to catch the faster service rather than the first train through. Regular commuters develop an almost automatic sense of timing, arriving on the platform precisely when the faster service is due.
This small piece of local knowledge rarely gets explained clearly to newcomers, who often board the first train that arrives only to discover it stops everywhere. A quick glance at the platform display before boarding usually avoids the mistake entirely. A single missed express can add a genuinely frustrating stretch of extra minutes onto what should have been a short trip.