Deutsche Bahn has launched a direct ICE connection from Cologne to Brussels Airport and Antwerp, restoring a direct high-speed rail link to the airport for the first time in more than a decade. The new service runs via Aachen, Liège and Leuven and uses ICE 3neo trainsets, with two daily round-trips linking Cologne Hauptbahnhof and Antwerp through Brussels Airport.
The first train left Cologne at 06:11 and reached Brussels Airport at 08:29, with the morning timing designed to connect with long-haul departures. The journey between Cologne and Brussels Airport takes about two hours. Brussels Airport is now back on the international high-speed rail network after its previous direct ICE link ended in 2015.
The route also forms part of an intermodal agreement with Brussels Airlines, allowing passengers to book train-and-flight itineraries on a single ticket. Deutsche Bahn positioned the service as a cross-border mobility link for western Germany and Belgium, while the airport stop strengthens access for travellers transferring between rail and air.