WUHAN, July 29 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese metropolis of Wuhan on Monday started construction of its first inter-city subway to boost integration in central China's urban agglomeration.

The Gedian section of the Wuhan Metro Line 11 will connect the existing subway network of Wuhan, capital of Hubei Province, with a train station in the neighboring city of Ezhou.

With an investment of 1.63 billion yuan (237 mln U.S. dollars), construction on the 3.7-km line is expected to be completed in 2021, said Zhang Jun, board chairman of Wuhan Metro.

The new line will link up national development zones in the two cities and promote the cities' cooperation in areas of science and technology, industry and infrastructure, said Liu Haijun, mayor of Ezhou.

It is an example of transportation integration in the Wuhan Metropolitan Area, Liu said. The metropolitan area, which includes Wuhan and eight cities in its proximity, is among the largest city clusters in central China.