A Record-Breaking Ride

On May 23, Prafull Singh, an operations employee with the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), completed a journey across every station on the Delhi Metro network in 14 hours, 54 minutes, and 36 seconds, securing a Guinness World Record. According to Livemint, Singh began his journey at 6 AM from Raja Nahar Singh station on the Violet Line and finished at Gurugram's Millennium City Centre station at approximately 9 PM.

Singh's time eclipsed the previous Guinness World Record of 15 hours, 21 minutes, and 4 seconds, set by Sujoy Kumar Mitra and Shipra Gupta in June 2023, as reported by both Business Today and Livemint.

A Second Attempt, A Better Result

This was not Singh's first attempt at the record. He previously held the title in 2022, covering 254 stations in 16 hours, 2 minutes, and 17 seconds, according to Livemint. Business Today reports that a wrong route delayed him by about 90 minutes during that attempt, a lesson Singh says he applied this time.

"I was sure of breaking the Guinness World Record with a significant margin this time," Singh told The Print, as quoted by Livemint. "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 attributes his success to his professional familiarity with the system. As a DMRC operations employee, he possesses detailed knowledge of train timings, routes, and daily operating rules, which he leveraged to plan his route efficiently, according to both outlets.

Rules and Requirements

Guinness World Records has specific rules for this challenge, as detailed by Livemint. The train must physically stop at every station to count, and challengers must capture timestamped photographic proof at each location. Deboarding is not necessary, but the documentation is mandatory.

More Than a Personal Milestone

Singh, who Livemint describes as an Ironman triathlete, sees his achievement as more than a personal feat. "This achievement is much more than a personal record for me," he told The Print, as quoted by Livemint. "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 transit."

In 2021, Singh secured a place in the India Book of Records by cycling 3,000 km indoors in 134 hours, according to Livemint. He also plans to swim from India to Sri Lanka to raise awareness and support for cancer research, the outlet reported.

A Growing Fascination

Business Today notes that such challenges are part of a growing global interest in Metro "speedrunning," where enthusiasts race through urban networks to visit every station in the shortest time possible, turning public transport into an endurance contest.