This 3.2 km-long bypass contains the installation of two additional tracks and two new platforms. The new rail infrastructure is a continuation of the Diabolo rail link and the final piece of the high-speed network in Belgium.
Simultaneously, the station area is redesigned to ease congestion on the Mechelen ring road. It allows Mechelen station to reinforce its central position as a strategic traffic interchange. Extending capacity allows increasing speed and aids the freer flow of railway traffic to Brussels. The rail bypass plays an important part in enhancing mobility in and around Brussels. The work should be completed in 2019.
