HONG KONG (BLOOMBERG) - China is considering a high-speed maglev train line that would link the city of Guangzhou in the south with Hong Kong, the latest in efforts to cultivate closer ties among hubs in the Greater Bay Area.

The line will start at Guangzhou East railway station, connect through Shenzhen and then onto neighbouring Hong Kong, Nanfang Plus, a Guangdong provincial government-backed media outlet, reported late last Thursday (Feb 25).

The train will run at speeds of up to 600kmh and cut travel time between Guangzhou and Hong Kong to less than 20 minutes, from over an hour currently.

Magnetic levitation, or maglev, trains use powerful magnets to glide along charged tracks at super fast speeds made possible by the lack of friction.

China unveiled a blueprint in early 2019 to create the so-called Greater Bay Area, a high-tech megalopolis linking its southern coastal cities with Hong Kong and Macau, following the signature policy that President Xi Jinping first articulated in 2017.

Asia's biggest economy has so far unveiled favorable tax incentives to lure overseas talent to the region, stepped up infrastructure construction and announced measures to cater to the financial needs of residents within the area.

The maglev train plan was also outlined earlier this month in a spatial plan by the provincial government for the next 15 years through 2035, though that provided few details.