A new high-speed train service between New Delhi and Agra was launched Wednesday as part of an effort to boost tourism.

The Delhi-Bhopal Shatabdi Express runs at 150 kilometers per hour, the fastest train in the country, senior officials at the Railways Ministry said.

The new service will reach Agra in less than two hours. The 198-km trip previously took two and a half hours.

Rajiv Saxena, chief public relations officer at Northern Railways, said the service will operate six days a week.

Agra, in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, is known for the Taj Mahal, which is the biggest tourist attraction in the country.

Source: http://asia.news.yahoo.com/060215/kyodo/d8fpck2o0.html