Construction on a subway linking two cities in South China's Guangdong Province was kicked off yesterday, heralding faster rail services in the Pearl River Delta area, one of the country's economic engines.

The 32.16-kilometer subway line linking the capital city of Guangzhou with Foshan, west of Guangzhou, will shorten travel time between Foshan and downtown Guangzhou to about 40 minutes from the current 50. Estimated to cost 14.7 billion yuan, the subway will have 21 stops and will go into operation in 2012. The line will be linked to four subway lines in Guangzhou.