Vande Bharat Express Pelted With Stones In Visakhapatnam

Unidentified people pelted stones at a coach of the new Vande Bharat train at the railway yard in Visakhapatnam, breaking a glass window, police said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to virtually flag off the high-speed express train between Secunderabad and Visakhapatnam on 15 January.

A preliminary investigation by the Railway Protection Force (RPF) revealed that some children playing near the coach complex at Kancharapalem mischievously pelted stones at the train on Wednesday night resulting in the damage.

The Visakhapatnam Police have joined the RPF in investigating the incident.

A rake of the Vande Bharat train arrived in Visakhapatnam from Chennai on Wednesday (11 January) for maintenance checks.

Upon its arrival in Visakhapatnam, the rake was moved to the new coach complex at Kancharapalem, where the incident happened, police said.

While the glass of a window was fully shattered, another suffered a minor crack, they added.

A local police officer said they were searching for the people who committed the crime. Security has been stepped up in the area following the incident, he added.

The Vande Bharat Express would take just eight hours to travel from Visakhapatnam to Secunderabad, unlike the current express trains, which take 12 to 14 hours.