Brussels Airport to have direct high speed train connections to Germany

Two daily ICE services

DB’s Intercity Express (ICE) trains could start operations from September 7, 2026. According to the proposal, two trains per day would run in each direction. Departures from Antwerp-Central are planned for around 11:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., arriving in Cologne at approximately 1:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Stops are scheduled at Brussels Airport-Zaventem at 11:30 a.m. and Liège-Guillemins at 12:20 p.m.

In the opposite direction, trains would leave Cologne at 6:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m., passing through Liège at 7:40 a.m. and 3:40 p.m., then Brussels Airport at 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., arriving in Antwerp by 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.

The ICE trains will run on high-speed tracks between Germany and Leuven, then switch to regular rail lines for the Leuven–Antwerp segment. Notably, the proposed ICE route would offer a direct and regular connection to Brussels Airport for the first time.

However, perspectives are not so bright to get Eurostar or other high-speed trains to Brussels Airport. The airport’s long-standing demand for better high-speed rail access even experienced a blow last year when the newly launched ‘Eurocity Direct’ train Brussels-Amsterdam, designed to slash travel time and offer a cheaper alternative to Eurostar, no longer stops at Brussels Airport-Zaventem.

Brussels inhabitants flying from Paris Charles de Gaulle airport benefit already from direct TGV connections. Meanwhile, most international rail networks continue to bypass Brussels Airport.

The situation is alarming for Brussels Airport CEO Arnaud Feist. “Paris and Frankfurt airports welcome high-speed trains—why not us? The tracks are there,” Feist has argued repeatedly. Since its 2001 launch, the service has carried over 4.5 million passengers on 93,000 high-speed trains.

Eurostar says “no” to Zaventem

For Feist, welcoming high speed trains is a viable way to significantly reduce short-haul flights within Europe. Such a move would help to free up runway slots for long-haul intercontinental flights. They are more profitable and better aligned with the retail-driven business models of major hubs.

Short-haul “hop” flights—like Brussels to Paris—remain then in operation, especially for Brussels Airlines’ connections to Africa. Without a direct rail link, passengers favored alternatives like dedicated buses from Lille over Brussels-Midi rail transfers.

However, asked by Belgium local newspaper L’Echo, Eurostar -partly owned by French SNCF- confirmed it has “no plans” to add a Brussels Airport stop to its service. “There are already smooth connections between Brussels-Midi and the airport, with SNCB trains every 10 to 15 minutes. The travel time is of just 20 minutes,” stated Eurostar senior press officer Céline Ronquetti to L’Echo.

The future high speed connection proposed by Deutsche Bahn to Germany is therefore welcome and represents more than just a nice consolation prize.