New Delhi, Dec 10 (IANS): The Delhi Metro said Tuesday it would start trial runs on the first section of the Phase III route between the Central Secretariat and Mandi House by Dec 30.

The trial runs will be done for opening the section to the public by March 2014, six months ahead of the earlier October 2014 date.

The construction on this stretch started Dec 2011.

"The opening of this stretch has been advanced by about six months as it will help in decongesting the Rajiv Chowk Metro station. This line will enable commuters on the Badarpur-Central Secretariat line, bound for Noida and Vaishali, to change trains at Mandi House without having to change twice at Central Secretariat and then at Rajiv Chowk," an official statement said.

The Mandi House station will be the first interchange station of the Phase III.

"The commissioning of this section before the scheduled date will benefit the public in a major way and ease pressure on Rajiv Chowk," DMRC managing director Mangu Singh said.

Phase III will provide interchange facility at the Central Secretariat and the Mandi House stations.