Brussels Airport reconnected to high-speed train after 10 years.
Brussels Airport has rejoined the international high-speed rail network after more than a decade, with Deutsche Bahn’s first ICE high-speed train from Cologne arriving at the airport on September 7, 2026. The new service strengthens Brussels Airport’s role as an intermodal transport hub and provides travellers from western Germany with direct rail access to the airport.
The inaugural ICE service departed Cologne at 6:11 am and travelled through Aachen, Liège and Leuven before arriving at Brussels Airport at 8:29 am. The train continued to Antwerpen-Centraal shortly afterwards. The arrival marked the return of direct high-speed rail connectivity to Brussels Airport for the first time since 2015.
The new connection is also supported by a partnership between Brussels Airlines and Deutsche Bahn, announced in February. Under the intermodal arrangement, passengers can combine their rail and air journeys in a single booking. More than 1,000 tickets have already been sold through the service, with New York, Accra and Alicante among the most popular destinations.
Travellers booking the combined rail-and-air option benefit from guaranteed connections in case of delays and can earn miles through the Lufthansa Group’s Miles & More programme. Tickets are available through Brussels Airlines, travel agencies and other regular sales channels.
Two daily return services will operate between Cologne and Antwerp via Brussels Airport. Trains travelling from Cologne will arrive at Brussels Airport at 8:29 am and 4:28 pm, while services travelling from Antwerp towards Cologne will stop at the airport at 11:29 am and 2:29 pm.
The ICE services are operated by Deutsche Bahn in cooperation with Belgian national railway operator NMBS, which provides drivers for the trains.
Brussels Airport CEO Arnaud Feist said the new connection represents an important step in developing the airport as an intermodal hub, offering travellers more sustainable and efficient options across national borders.
Brussels Airlines CFO Nina Öwerdieck said the partnership will allow the airline to welcome more passengers to its network without adding additional flights. She also expressed hope that the service will pave the way for a broader high-speed rail network at Brussels Airport.
The new connection provides travellers from western Germany with convenient access to Brussels Airport and its network of more than 180 destinations, while also offering arriving passengers seamless onward rail connectivity to western Germany.
