The Kingdom of Belgium and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg request the European Union to help fund better cross-border rail connections between the two neighbouring countries.
Belgian Minister of Mobility George Gilkinet (Ecolo) hosted Luxembourgish Minister of Defense, Minister for Mobility & Public Works, Minister for Gender Equality & Diversity Yuriko Backes (Democratic Party) for the first official bilateral meeting regarding mobility.
This meeting follows the signing of a letter of intent to strengthen rail cooperation between the two countries by Gilkinet and then Luxembourg’s Minister of Mobility François Bausch (The Greens) in October 2023.
Belgium and Luxembourg aim to bolster train connections between each other, as 45,000 people commute daily. It’s not uncommon for workers to live in ‘cheap’ Belgium and to work in better-paying Luxembourg.
Letter of intent
What do the excellencies want?
- “A new fast train between Brussels and Luxembourg City, accelerating the modernization work on Axis 3. To quickly and efficiently connect our two capitals, we have also sent a joint appeal to the European Commission with a view to obtaining support financial support for the completion of this work”, Minister Gilkinet says on LinkedIn.
- Doubled frequencies on the existing IC link, where brand new M7 cars have just arrived.
- A direct connection between Luxembourg and Libramont, which will eventually run twice per hour and without commuters having to change trains.
This pledge has the support of the Belgian national railway company NMBS / SNCB and Luxembourg’s operator Société Nationale des Chemins de Fer Luxembourgeois (CFL)
European money
The ongoing modernisation initiative for the Brussels-Luxembourg railway axis is a project within the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) and the strategic North Sea – Mediterranean Sea corridor.
The ministers signed a letter of support, appealing for financial aid from the European Commission under the Connecting Europe Facility programme. This EU funding mechanism aims to direct investments into European transport, energy, and digital infrastructures to address gaps and bottlenecks.
Axis 3
“Axis 3 links Brussels to the border with the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. It consists of railway lines 161 (Ottignies – Namur) and 162 (Namur-border) and has a total length of 175 km on Belgian territory. Its route is winding, with more than 150 curves. This explains the relatively low reference speed (130 km/h) and the presence of numerous low-speed traffic zones”, TUC Rail says.
“This major upgrade project will raise the reference speed to 160 km/h, improve the link between Brussels, Luxembourg and Strasbourg and thus reduce road traffic between Belgium and Luxembourg.”
Brussels, Luxembourg and Strasbourg in France are host cities of European institutions. A good link between them is imperative.
Geography
Currently, the IC 21XX between Brussels-Midi/South and Luxembourg takes 3 hours and 16 minutes. This train calls many stations in between:
- Brussels-Central.
- Brussels-North.
- Brussels-Schuman.
- Brussels-Luxembourg (yes it is funny the Brussels – Luxembourg train stops at Brussels-Luxembourg Railway Station).
- Ottignies.
- Gembloux.
- Namur.
- Ciney.
- Marloie.
- Rochefort-Jemelle.
- Libramont.
- Marbehan.
- Arlon.
Unfortunately, the geography of Wallonia and the Ardennes prevent the building of a true high-speed line. But increasing the reference speed and cutting some stops should do the trick to decrease the journey time.
More on night trains and transcontinental train travel
- Slow(er) train from Brussels to Paris for 2024 Summer Olympics.
- GoVolta wants tourist trains from the Netherlands to Berlin, Paris and Basel and from Antwerp to Germany.
- Heuro wants to operate high speeds trains between Amsterdam, Antwerp, Brussels, Paris and London from 2028.
- Eurostar and five more train operators joined the European Agreement on Journey Continuation.
- ÖBB’s new Nightjet sleeper cars accommodate solo travellers with Mini Cabins.
- Trenitalia orders new Hitachi Frecciarossa trains suited for France, Belgium and the Netherlands.
- European Sleeper serving Dresden and Prague from 2024, targets Barcelona from 2025.
- Tri-Country Train between Maastricht, Liège and Aachen delayed until spring 2024.
- ÖBB’s Nightjet to connect Berlin to Brussels from December 2023.
- EUROCITY EC-8 | Basel to Cologne in SBB’s Panoramic Car.
- Trenitalia / FS confirms interest in connecting Spain to Brussels, Amsterdam and Berlin.
- Deutsche Bahn and Trenitalia want piece of Amsterdam – Brussels – Paris HST service via subsidiaries Arriva an Qbuzz.
- SNCF and NMBS / SNCB to link Paris to Brussels with ‘slow’ classic train in about 3 hours from December 2024.
- Sampling NS’ new train and future Benelux rolling stock ICNG.
- REVIEW | Trenitalia Frecciarossa 1000 Paris – Milan in Business Executive.
- RAIL TOUR OF EUROPE | How easy is touring Europe by train?.
- Eight train connections between the Netherlands and Belgium by 2030?.
- REVIEW | ÖBB Nightjet Amsterdam – Zurich night train.
- European Commission wants booking train tickets to be as easy as booking flights.
- GreenCityTrip launches new destinations for its chartered night trains: Copenhagen, Gothenburg, Malmö, Bologna, Firenze, Bolzano, Como, Salzburg, Linz.
- Nightjet Vienna/Innsbruck to Brussels, or how we got thrown off the train in Aachen.
- Why the expensive ÖBB Nightjet is really not that expensive.
- Reliving the era of the great railway journeys, travelling overnight on Nightjet.
- How we plan a big rail trip.
- Ticket Distribution: the failure of railways to sell themselves.
- To use night trains in Portugal and Spain or not?.
- Night trains in Europe.
- Low-cost, long-haul trains to conquer Europe?.
- Fly now before it’s taxed and consider using the train instead.
- MIDNIGHT TRAINS | Unified Rail Europe? Coping with rail network challenges.
- MIDNIGHT TRAINS | Choosing rolling stock is more than following national technical rules.
- Midnight Trains abandon United Kingdom, Germany, Denmark and Portugal to aim at Nice, Milan, Rome, Venice, Barcelona and Madrid.
Italian high-speed rail operator Italo is preparing a major expansion into Germany with a €3.6 billion investment plan aimed at challenging Deutsche Bahn’s dominance of…
Italian high-speed rail operator Italo is preparing a major expansion into Germany with a €3.6 billion investment plan aimed at challenging Deutsche Bahn’s dominance of…
August 2025. We’re travelling to the Baltic States: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, and more specifically their respective capitals Tallinn, Riga and Vilnius. Are they interconnected…
Dutch private train operator GoVolta will stop running trains from Amsterdam in the Netherlands to Hamburg in Germany, train spotter Martijn van Vulpen reports. Since…
Dutch private train operator GoVolta will stop running trains from Amsterdam in the Netherlands to Hamburg in Germany, train spotter Martijn van Vulpen reports. Since…
Dutch train operator GoVolta has announced a major expansion of its cross-border services, with a new daily Amsterdam to Paris route set to launch on…
Dutch train operator GoVolta has announced a major expansion of its cross-border services, with a new daily Amsterdam to Paris route set to launch on…
Dutch train operator GoVolta has announced a major expansion of its cross-border services, with a new daily Amsterdam to Paris route set to launch on…
The Hague, the Dutch seat of government and home to over 500 international organisations, is pushing to restore its direct rail connection to Brussels in…
The Hague, the Dutch seat of government and home to over 500 international organisations, is pushing to restore its direct rail connection to Brussels in…
Cross-border rail travel in Europe is at a crossroads, says the European Rail Passengers Union. While trains are the most sustainable option for connecting communities…
Cross-border rail travel in Europe is at a crossroads, says the European Rail Passengers Union. While trains are the most sustainable option for connecting communities…
Deutsche Bahn (DB) will launch a new daily direct connection between Berlin and Oslo via Hamburg, Copenhagen, Malmö, and Gothenburg from summer 2028. This initiative,…
Deutsche Bahn (DB) will launch a new daily direct connection between Berlin and Oslo via Hamburg, Copenhagen, Malmö, and Gothenburg from summer 2028. This initiative,…
August 2025. We’re travelling to the Baltic States: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, and more specifically their respective capitals Tallinn, Riga and Vilnius. Are they interconnected…
A memorandum of understanding for a possible direct rail connection between Switzerland and London in the United Kingdom was signed today by SBB-CFF-FFS, SNCF Voyageurs…
A memorandum of understanding for a possible direct rail connection between Switzerland and London in the United Kingdom was signed today by SBB-CFF-FFS, SNCF Voyageurs…
A memorandum of understanding for a possible direct rail connection between Switzerland and London in the United Kingdom was signed today by SBB-CFF-FFS, SNCF Voyageurs…
On 13 May 2026, the European Commission has unveiled sweeping plans to make rail travel across Europe simpler and more integrated, promising easier booking, stronger…
On 13 May 2026, the European Commission has unveiled sweeping plans to make rail travel across Europe simpler and more integrated, promising easier booking, stronger…
The Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS) is not adopting Dutch train passengers union Rover‘s proposal to extend the EuroCity Brussels-South to Breda route to Eindhoven Central instead…
The Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS) is not adopting Dutch train passengers union Rover‘s proposal to extend the EuroCity Brussels-South to Breda route to Eindhoven Central instead…
On Wednesday 13 May 2026, the European Commission proposed new rules to simplify train travel, enabling single-ticket booking across Europe. The move aims to boost…
On Wednesday 13 May 2026, the European Commission proposed new rules to simplify train travel, enabling single-ticket booking across Europe. The move aims to boost…
August 2025. We’re travelling to the Baltic States: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, and more specifically their respective capitals Tallinn, Riga and Vilnius. Are they interconnected…
The European Commission wants to make international train travel in Europe much simpler. Its newly unveiled Passenger Package promises easier booking, stronger passenger rights and…
The European Commission wants to make international train travel in Europe much simpler. Its newly unveiled Passenger Package promises easier booking, stronger passenger rights and…
In 2024, Europe’s rail networks experienced unprecedented demand, with passengers embarking on 8.7 billion trips, accumulating a total of 444.5 billion passenger-kilometres. This surge marked…
In 2024, Europe’s rail networks experienced unprecedented demand, with passengers embarking on 8.7 billion trips, accumulating a total of 444.5 billion passenger-kilometres. This surge marked…
From Sunday 13 December 2026, the ÖBB Nightjet connecting Amsterdam and Zurich will operate with the latest Nightjet New Generation rolling stock (with individual pod!),…
From Sunday 13 December 2026, the ÖBB Nightjet connecting Amsterdam and Zurich will operate with the latest Nightjet New Generation rolling stock (with individual pod!),…
August 2025. We’re travelling to the Baltic States: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, and more specifically their respective capitals Tallinn, Riga and Vilnius. Are they interconnected…
In December 2025, European Sleeper announced a new night train connection: Brussels in Belgium and Amsterdam in the Netherlands to Milan in Italy. Independent railway…
In December 2025, European Sleeper announced a new night train connection: Brussels in Belgium and Amsterdam in the Netherlands to Milan in Italy. Independent railway…
Belgian-Dutch railway cooperative European Sleeper has announced in its newsletter changes to the route of its new Brussels in Belgium to Milan in Italy night…
Belgian-Dutch railway cooperative European Sleeper has announced in its newsletter changes to the route of its new Brussels in Belgium to Milan in Italy night…
Belgian-Dutch railway cooperative European Sleeper has announced in its newsletter changes to the route of its new Brussels in Belgium to Milan in Italy night…
Belgian-Dutch railway cooperative European Sleeper has announced in its newsletter changes to the route of its new Brussels in Belgium to Milan in Italy night…
From 14 December 2026, Dutch rail operator GoVolta will begin daily services between Amsterdam and Paris, stopping in Antwerp and Ghent in Belgium, as well…
From 14 December 2026, Dutch rail operator GoVolta will begin daily services between Amsterdam and Paris, stopping in Antwerp and Ghent in Belgium, as well…
The European Parliament has given its final approval to the Regulation on the Use of Railway Infrastructure Capacity in the Single European Railway Area, a…
The European Parliament has given its final approval to the Regulation on the Use of Railway Infrastructure Capacity in the Single European Railway Area, a…
Stockholm is rapidly moving up the agenda of Europe’s railway operators, as a wave of new and planned train services positions the Swedish capital as…
Stockholm is rapidly moving up the agenda of Europe’s railway operators, as a wave of new and planned train services positions the Swedish capital as…
August 2025. We’re travelling to the Baltic States: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, and more specifically their respective capitals Tallinn, Riga and Vilnius. Are they interconnected…