A Delhi Metro employee has set a new Guinness World Record by completing a journey across the entire Delhi Metro network in 14 hours, 54 minutes and 36 seconds.
Prafull Singh made the record-breaking attempt on May 23, beginning at Raja Nahar Singh Metro Station on the Violet Line at around 6 am. He reached Millennium City Centre station in Gurugram at around 9 pm, completing his journey in less than 15 hours.
Delhi Metro journey sets new Guinness record
Singh's latest achievement improved on the previous record of 15 hours, 21 minutes and 4 seconds, set by Sujoy Kumar Mitra and Shipra Gupta in June 2023.
This was not Singh's first attempt at completing the network-wide challenge. In 2022, he had covered 254 Delhi Metro stations in 16 hours, 2 minutes and 17 seconds.
His latest attempt benefited from better planning and his familiarity with the network. Singh works with the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) in the operations sector, giving him knowledge of train schedules, routes and operating procedures.
“I was sure of breaking the Guinness World Record with a significant margin this time, last time I was delayed by one and a half hours, because I had taken the wrong route. But this time I was sure, ” Singh told The Print.
What the Guinness record requires
The challenge involves more than simply remaining on trains for several hours. Under Guinness World Records rules, trains must stop at every station included in the category for the journey to qualify.
Participants do not necessarily have to leave the train at each station. However, they must provide evidence that they visited the stations, including photographs carrying digital timestamps or images showing a visible clock.
From metro stations to endurance sports
Singh said the record also allowed him to showcase the reach of Delhi Metro and promote public transport.
“This achievement is much more than a personal record for me. Being closely connected with DMRC, it was an opportunity for me to showcase the reach and efficiency of Delhi Metro and encourage greater use of public transport,” he said.
Away from the metro, Singh is an Ironman triathlete who has participated in swimming, marathons and cycling. In 2021, he also entered the India Book of Records after cycling 3,000 km indoors at his home in 134 hours.
His next challenge could take him beyond Indian waters. Singh plans to swim from India to Sri Lanka to raise support for cancer research.