(Posted 08th September 2026)
On 07th of September, the first ICE high-speed train (HST) from Cologne arrived at Brussels Airport station. This means the airport is, for the first time since 2015, directly connected again to the international high-speed rail network. As of yesterday, travellers from western Germany flying from Brussels Airport can combine their flight with a train journey by Deutsche Bahn.
Deutsche Bahn’s first high-speed train departed from Cologne station at 6:11 a.m. After stops in Aachen, Liège and Leuven, the train arrived at Brussels Airport at 8:29 a.m., marking the return of a high-speed train service to the airport for the first time in over 10 years. Around five minutes later, the train continued on to its final destination, Antwerpen-Centraal. To celebrate the inaugural journey, Brussels Airlines cabin crew treated all passengers on board to Belgian Neuhaus chocolates.
“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.” said Arnaud Feist, Chief Executive Officer, Brussels Airport
Seamless connection between train and plane
There are two return services every day between Cologne and Antwerp. The trains from Cologne arrive at the airport station at 8:29 a.m. and 4:28 p.m. The trains in the other direction, from Antwerp to Cologne, call at Brussels Airport at 11:29 a.m. and 2:29 p.m. Deutsche Bahn’s ICE high-speed trains operate in cooperation with NMBS, which provides the drivers for this connection.
The new connection offers travellers from Western Germany fast and easy access to Brussels Airport’s extensive network, with more than 180 destinations worldwide. At the same time, passengers arriving at the airport have an easy and direct connection to Western Germany. In this way, this high-speed train strengthens Brussels Airport’s role as an intermodal hub and makes it easier to combine train and plane.
