Train 18. | Photo Credit: ANI

New Delhi: India’s first indigenously built Train 18 was pelted with stones by miscreants during a trial run on New Delhi-Varanasi route. The incident was reported when the train was being brought to New Delhi station from its workshop located in Shakurbasti. India’s fastest train is scheduled to be flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the coming days.

"The window of one of the coaches of the train was damaged after some unidentified persons pelted it with stones near Sadar area under the Delhi Lahori Gate post,” Northern Railway Spokesperson Deepak Kumar told IANS.

The train started from Shakurbasti station at 11.03 pm on Friday night and reached New Delhi station at 11.50 pm.

Train 18, which has renamed as Vande Bharat Express, was being escorted by five personnel of the Railway Protection Force (RPF) when stone pelting was reported due to which a window glass of the second coach was damaged, reported IANS.

Last year in December, the train was pelted with stones during a trial run between Delhi and Agra.

Railway Minister Piyush Goyal had earlier tweeted claiming the train would complete the distance of 795 km in eight hours which is 35 per cent faster than other fastest trains running on the route.

Train 18 has many firsts under its belt and is also the first engineless train. Manufactured by the Integral Coach Factory, Chennai, it recently ran at the top speed of over 180 kmph. The government is planning to replace the Shatabdi Express trains and run between Delhi and Varanasi with Train 18.