The Belgian railway line 25 is the oldest railway line in Belgium. It connects the main two cities in Belgium: Brussels and Antwerp. The section between Brussels and Mechelen was completed in on May 5, 1835 and was the first railroad in Belgium. On May 3, 1836, the second section (between Mechelen and Antwerp) was first opened. It was extended to Luchtbal in the north of Antwerp in 2007 in order to shorten the route from Amsterdam to Brussels. The total line runs 47.6 km.