NANCHANG, Nov. 30 -- Local railway authorities in Nanchang, capital of east China's Jiangxi Province, announced on Saturday that a new railway link will run through some of the country's most prosperous cities.

The Xiamen-Shenzhen link, measuring 502.4 km in length and set with 18 stops during the whole course, will more rapidly connect east China's Fujian Province with the southern powerhouse of Guangdong Province.

The link begins operation on Sunday, local authorities said.

The railway link is part of an ambitious long-and-medium-term plan for railway network construction that will see eight high-speed passenger rail lines crisscrossing the country by 2015, covering cities with populations over 500,000.

Local authorities said that the link will greatly shorten the travel time and make travels more convenient among the Yangtze River Delta Region and the Pearl River Delta Region, the nation's most economically developed regions.

The Nanchang railway authority is responsible for railway transportation of Jiangxi and Fujian provinces.