Brussels Airport has rejoined the international high-speed rail network after more than a decade, with the first Deutsche Bahn ICE train from Cologne arriving at the airport on September 7, 2026. The new connection also enables Brussels Airlines passengers travelling from western Germany to combine their train and flight journeys in a single booking.
The inaugural ICE service departed Cologne at 6:11 am and travelled via Aachen, Liège and Leuven before arriving at Brussels Airport at 8:29 am. It 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.
Arnaud Feist, Chief Executive Officer, Brussels Airport said, “The arrival of this high-speed rail service marks an important step in the further development of Brussels Airport as an intermodal hub. We want to offer travellers a range of sustainable options to travel efficiently to and from the airport, across national borders. Thanks to the connection to the high-speed rail network, passengers can already complete part of their journey by train and enjoy seamless access to the more than 180 destinations in our network. This new connection is a great example of how, together with various partners, we are enabling future-oriented mobility.”
Rail and Air on a Single Booking
The service builds on the partnership between Brussels Airlines and Deutsche Bahn announced in February. More than 1,000 tickets have already been sold through the intermodal arrangement, which allows passengers to combine rail and air travel on a single ticket. New York, Accra and Alicante have emerged as the most popular destinations booked through the product.
Passengers also benefit from guaranteed connections in the event 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
Two return services will operate daily between Cologne and Antwerp via Brussels Airport. Trains from Cologne will arrive at the airport at 8:29 am and 4:28 pm, while services travelling from Antwerp towards Cologne will call at Brussels Airport at 11:29 am and 2:29 pm.
Deutsche Bahn operates the ICE high-speed trains in cooperation with NMBS, which provides drivers for the service.
Nina Öwerdieck, Chief Financial Officer, Brussels Airlines, said, “We’re very excited about this intermodal partnership between Deutsche Bahn and Brussels Airlines. We’re able to welcome more guests on our network, without the need of adding flights. We hope this is the start of a larger high-speed train network at Brussels Airport in the future, with hopefully more seamless intermodal travel options to come.”
Dr. Michael Peterson, DB Board Member for Long Distance Passenger Transport, Deutsche Bahn said, “Direct to Antwerp, direct to Brussels Airport, and all on our state-of-the-art trains: this is how we’re making international rail travel even easier and more appealing for passengers. We’re connecting two key transport hubs via the ICE service: Cologne, as a hub for cross-border long-distance travel, and Brussels Airport, as an international hub for onward journeys by air.”
The connection gives travellers from western Germany direct rail access to Brussels Airport and its network of more than 180 destinations, while providing arriving passengers with onward connectivity to western Germany.