Brussels Airport now directly reachable from Cologne by new ICE - New Direct Rail Service Connects Cologne and Antwerp Starting September 2026

A new direct rail service will link Cologne and Antwerp from September 7, 2026. The route, operated by Deutsche Bahn's ICE trains, will stop at key cities including Aachen, Liège, and Leuven before reaching Brussels Airport. Tickets for the twice-daily service are now on sale.

The first train will depart Cologne at 6:30 a.m., arriving at Brussels Airport by 8:29 a.m. A second service leaves at 2:30 p.m. each day. The journey between Cologne and Antwerp will take roughly two hours in total.

The route includes stops in Aachen, Liège, and Leuven before continuing to Brussels Airport. From there, passengers will travel onward to Antwerp as the final destination. No further details have been released about additional international connections along this corridor in the future.

The launch of this direct link aims to improve travel between Germany and Belgium. With two daily departures, the service offers a faster alternative to existing options. Passengers can now book tickets for trips starting in September 2026.