The new international Cologne–Antwerp connection, which will go into operation on September 7, 2026, will include a stop at Brussels Airport, offering two daily train pairs (round trip) between Cologne Hauptbahnhof and the airport, continuing on to Antwerp.
Tickets are already available for booking.
Single train + plane ticket
The partnership includes a codeshare agreement, which allows passengers to purchase a combined train + plane ticket in a single step.
The model is based on the “Lufthansa Express Rail” program, through which Deutsche Bahn and Lufthansa integrate rail travel into flight reservations. The new cooperation extends this concept to connections via Brussels Airport.
Passengers from Cologne, Aachen, and Liège will be able to quickly reach Brussels Airport and from there to over 180 international destinations operated by Brussels Airlines.
The journey time between Cologne Hauptbahnhof and Brussels Airport will be approximately two hours, with the morning train arriving at 8:29 a.m., facilitating long-haul connections.
ICE 3neo on the cross-border route
The new route will be served by the ICE 3neo, the latest generation of Deutsche Bahn’s high-speed fleet.
The route will include stops in Aachen, Liège, and Leuven, strengthening cross-border rail connectivity between Germany and Belgium.
Intermodality and sustainability
Officials from Deutsche Bahn, Brussels Airlines, and Brussels Airport emphasized that the project reflects the growing trend toward integration between rail and air transport, in the context of goals to reduce emissions and develop sustainable mobility.
Deutsche Bahn is an intermodal partner of Star Alliance, and the cooperation with Brussels Airlines reinforces the train-plane integration strategy developed over the last two decades together with Lufthansa.
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