Verb たところ vs たばかり — both about something 'just happening'?

Question

「駅に着いたところです」and 「駅に着いたばかりです」both seem to translate as 'I just arrived at the station'. Same thing?

Accepted Answer

Very close, but たところ emphasizes the exact MOMENT right after completion — very immediate, almost 'just this second'. たばかり has a bit more flexibility with how much time has passed (could be minutes, sometimes even used more loosely for 'recently'), and it can also attach to non-time-sensitive facts, like 結婚したばかりです ('recently got married', which could be weeks ago). たところ feels tighter/more instant; たばかり feels like 'recently, not long ago' with slightly looser timing.