Panipat (Haryana), Sep 15 (IANS): The Swarn Shatabdi Express by which Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi is travelling from Ludhiana to New Delhi was stoned by miscreants Tuesday evening near Gharaunda town, near here. No one was injured, but window panes of three coaches of the train were damaged.

The stoning took place between Karnal and Panipat stations in Haryana around 9.45 p.m.

Passengers travelling on the train said that coaches C-2, C-4 and C-7 were hit in the stone attack.

One stone reportedly even fell inside a coach.

Rahul Gandhi was aboard coach C-3 of the train and was said to be safe. The 38-year-old Congress leader chose to travel by train as part of the party's austerity drive because of the drought in many parts of the country. He was travelling by air-conditioned chair car.

The elite Special Protection Group (SPG) personnel accompanying Rahul Gandhi immediately searched the affected coaches and directed railway authorities not to stop the train at Panipat junction.

The train is to reach New Delhi railway station a little after 11 p.m. Tuesday.

Haryana Police and Railway Protection Force personnel rushed to the spot where the stoning took place to investigate who was behind the attack.

Haryana is ruled by a Congress government led by Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda.

The state goes to assembly elections next month.

People are non-plussed by the stoning. It is unusual for a Shatabdi train to be stoned in Haryana. Congress supporters had gathered at different stations to greet Gandhi, but were unable to meet him.