The Delhi Metro plans to open its Phase III corridor connecting Central Secretariat and Mandi House by the end of 2013, a move that will considerably ease the pressure on its busiest interchange station - Rajiv Chowk.

When it is completed this year, it will be the first corridor in the 140km Phase III to get operational. The Central Secretariat-Mandi House stretch, part of Central Secretariat-Kashmere Gate corridor, was originally scheduled to start functioning around nine months later, in September 2014.

"We are working on a war footing to complete works on the stretch as the managing director wants this to be operational by the end of 2013 to reduce the growing pressure on the Rajiv Chowk station," said Jitendra Tyagi, director (works), Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC).

The Rajiv Chowk Metro station, located in Connaught Place, is the busiest. The Jahangirpuri-Gurgaon and Dwarka-Noida lines, which together carry over 1.2 million commuters daily, have an interchange at this station.