Sharjeel urges World Bank to lend its support to KCR, high-speed train projects

KARACHI: Sindh Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon called the Karachi Circular Railway and the Karachi–Sukkur high-speed train key priorities for the provincial government and urged the World Bank to support both projects.

He said these initiatives would be game changer for Sindh and that the government wants the World Bank to take an active role in moving them forward.

A high-level World Bank delegation met the senior minister, who also serves as the provincial minister for information, transport and mass transit. They discussed ways to improve urban mobility across the province, strengthen the transport system and review different models.

Shajeel Inam Memon briefed the delegation on the Yellow Line BRT project, which is being developed with World Bank support. He noted that work on one section, the Taj Haider Bridge, has been completed and that the remaining work is progressing quickly. He added that decisions about the Yellow Line are being made with the public interest in mind.

He said more timely support from the World Bank is needed to complete the project on schedule, and that the Sindh government is committed to providing affordable and fast travel options.

He added that in recent years the federal government handed over the Green Line BRT to Sindh, and daily ridership under Sindh’s management has risen by 33,000.

Sharjeel Inam Memon said Karachi still needs more buses to improve urban mobility, and that the World Bank’s support would be valuable. He said cooperation is needed not only for the Yellow Line but also for future transport plans.

The World Bank delegation praised the province’s transport initiatives and asked the Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon to support railway projects as well. Delegation said that Karachi is a major city in the region and has a strategic location for access to Central Asia.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025