How long was he walking?

Every day, Jack arrives at the train station from work at 5 pm. His wife leaves home in her car to meet him there at exactly 5 pm, and drives him home. 

One day, Jack gets to the station an hour early, and starts walking home, until his wife meets him on the road. They get home 30 minutes earlier than usual. How long was he walking? 

Distances are unspecified. Speeds are unspecified, but constant.

Give a number which represents the answer in minutes.

He must be walking for....minutes. Click to know! 

Jack's Walking Duration in Journey!

What was the question?

It's important to think from wife's point of view in the case.

Ideally, had Jack somehow informed earlier his wife about his 1 hour early arrival then his wife's (and his as well) total 60 minutes in round trip would have been saved. 

30 minutes of her round trip are saved which means only 15 minutes of each leg of her trip must have been saved. That is she meets her husband only 15 minutes earlier on the day instead of 60 minutes earlier (if Jack had informed her earlier). 

Hence, Jack must be walking for 45 minutes.

Let's understand this with example.

Suppose wife needs exactly one hour to reach the station every day. She leaves home at 4 PM everyday and reach station at 5 PM & drive Jack home at 6 PM

On one day, Jack arrived at 4 PM and started walking whereas wife leaves home at the same time as usual. They reach home at 5:30 PM.

30 minutes of wife saved indicates that she took 45 minutes to meet husband (instead of 1 hour) at 4:45 PM (instead of 5PM, only 15 minutes earlier) and took him to home at 5:30 PM (instead of 6PM) in next 45 minutes (instead of 1 hour) thereby saving 15 + 15 = 30 minutes only.

Since, Jack started walking at 4 PM and meet her wife at 4:45 PM, he must be walking for 45 minutes.