Brussels Airport has regained a vital international rail connection as Deutsche Bahn launches a new ICE high‑speed service between Cologne and Antwerp, stopping at Aachen, Liège, Leuven and Brussels Airport.
The route reconnects the airport to the European high‑speed network for the first time since 2015, marking a significant milestone in cross‑border mobility.
The service is the result of a partnership between Deutsche Bahn, Brussels Airport, Brussels Airlines and NMBS, designed to make the airport more accessible to travellers from western Germany and beyond . Passengers can now reach the airport’s 180 global destinations with ease, and those flying with Brussels Airlines can book their train and flight together, ensuring a guaranteed connection even in the event of delays.
The ICE operates twice daily in both directions, arriving at Brussels Airport from Cologne at 8.29 am and 4.28 pm, and departing for Cologne at 11.29 am and 7.29 pm.
Brussels Airport CEO Arnaud Feist says the new link is an important step in strengthening the airport’s role as an intermodal hub, offering travellers more sustainable and efficient ways to move across borders. “This new connection is a great example of how, together with various partners, we are enabling future‑oriented mobility,” he adds.
