Belgium’s federal Mobility Minister Jean-Luc Crucke (Les Engagés) wants to make a direct train connection between Belgium and Switzerland possible again, Gazet van Antwerpen and Het Nieuwsblad report. In his latest policy note, Minister Crucke argues that a direct rail link is necessary and says he intends to give instructions to prepare a relaunch of the service.
According to the minister, Switzerland has also expressed clear interest in restoring an international train service along this strategic corridor.
For today’s rail passengers travelling from Belgium to Switzerland, the journey requires time, patience and a tolerance for long transfer breaks. Veteran public transport expert Herman Welter points out that this was not always the case. Until 2016, travellers could take a direct train from Brussels to the Swiss city of Basel three times a day.
Welter also recalls that in the late 1950s it was possible to travel from Brussels to Basel by train in just five hours. Despite the use of high-speed trains on parts of the route today, the journey now easily takes around six hours.
2016
The disappearance of the direct connection in 2016 happened quietly, according to Welter. One of the reasons was the need to invest in new rolling stock. At the time, the Belgian railway company NMBS / SNCB also considered it acceptable for passengers to take the high-speed line to Strasbourg and change there for Basel.
In practice, that transfer proved highly problematic, especially in the first years. Many passengers regularly missed the onward train in Strasbourg and were left watching it depart. As a result, a significant number of travellers abandoned the route altogether.
Crucke now wants to reverse that situation. In his policy note, he describes a direct train to Switzerland as essential and says preparations should be made in cooperation with Luxembourg, France and Switzerland. He stresses that there is strong interest on the Swiss side in developing an international rail service along this axis.
Challenges
Mobility experts, however, warn that reinstating a direct connection will not be straightforward. Welter supports the idea but emphasises the complexity of the project. Success will depend not only on Swiss cooperation, but also on France’s willingness to participate.
A crucial factor will be the allocation of train paths: the limited time slots during which a direct service would be allowed to use the tracks. According to Welter, the attractiveness of the service will largely depend on the departure and arrival times that can be secured.
“No time”
Crucke’s renewed enthusiasm for a direct Swiss connection is also politically sensitive. Last summer, he faced sharp criticism after travelling by plane to Zurich for meetings on rail transport and autonomous vehicles. He publicly shared the trip by posting a selfie taken on the flight from Brussels to Zurich.
Critics, including the green party Ecolo, described the move as hypocritical for a minister responsible for rail policy. Crucke defended himself by saying he was under severe time pressure and needed to return to Brussels quickly, which he argued was not possible given the existing train schedules.
Despite the controversy, the minister’s policy note signals a renewed ambition to strengthen international rail links and to make long-distance train travel a more competitive alternative to flying, including on routes between Belgium and Switzerland.
Mixed memories
Did the Brussels – Basel link disappear that quietly? I remember a special train service being operated in 2016 with the famed SBB-CFF-FFS panoramic coaches for the last run. That was not accessible to mere mortals, but was reserved for VIPs.
Also, the service wasn’t that great. If you didn’t book your seat, you could lose it as in France, it was used for domestic travelled and if a French passenger booked your seat, you could end standing up for many hours.
There was also no catering on board. Brussels – Luxembourg – Basel is a long journey. So if I had some decision making power, I would use comfortable rolling stock and include a restaurant car.
NMBS / SNCB has I6, I10 and I11 rolling stock fit for international travel (hence the I in their denomination), but these are being rented out and / or used for services to Paris and the Netherlands.
More on night trains and transcontinental train travel
- NETHERLANDS | Arriva will not launch the Groningen to Paris service in 2026.
- Booking headache deters almost two in three long-distance rail travellers, poll finds.
- Snälltåget to run Stockholm – Malmö – Copenhagen – Hamburg day trains from May 2026.
- Nox night trains: a smart new cabin concept or just an unachievable dream?.
- How firm are Eurostar and Deutsche Bahn’s “2030s” Germany to London train link plans?.
- Leo Express files plans for extraordinary 2026 Bratislava–Ostend and Venice–Northern Germany services.
- GoVolta re-emerges to offer train services from Amsterdam to Hamburg and to Berlin using Belgian I10 carriages.
- Deutsche Bahn to offer a Cologne – Ostend / Bruges / Ghent – Cologne high-speed train connection in the summer of 2026?.
- Rail should be functional, not fine art: EU leaders call for standardisation and lower costs.
- Subsidies for night trains? “You cannot fix this until someone builds more sleeper and couchette carriages”.
- European Sleeper to operate Paris – Brussels – Berlin night train route from March 2026.
- Leo Express and Arenaways plan direct train between Prague and Venice.
- Italo targets the German high-speed rail market.
- Trenitalia eyes expansion into Germany’s high-speed trains market.
- European Commission wants to link all EU capitals by high-speed train by 2040… and that’s not going to happen.
- Travellers in Europe increasingly open to choosing trains over planes for short-haul journeys.
- REVIEW | European Sleeper night train.
- Paris Nightjet axed: France’s withdrawal threatens Europe’s night train revival.
- 2026 | Deutsche Bahn plans 4 ICE’s per day between Cologne and Antwerp and 16 per day between Frankfurt and Brussels.
- Iron Rhine gets renewed political attention in Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany.
- ÖBB prioritises Railjet over Nightjet: Is the night train revival a False Dawn?.
- Deutsche Bahn’s Antwerp – Brussels Airport – Leuven – Cologne ICE aims to attract tourists and Port of Antwerp-related business.
- EUROPEAN SLEEPER | Brussels to Barcelona night train to stop in Avignon, Montpellier, Narbonne, and Girona.
- Trenitalia, Deutsche Bahn and ÖBB launch Frecciarossa EuroCity trains linking Berlin, Munich, Milan, Rome and Naples.
- European Commission commits to single-ticket train travel, Back-on-Track unconvinced it will happen.
- EU train travel report sees increase in cross-border passenger trains and easier bookings.
- Brussels to Luxembourg by train under 2 hours by 2030?.
- 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.
- EUROCITY EC-8 | Basel to Cologne in SBB’s Panoramic Car.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Channel Tunnel updates
- A London-bound Eurostar terminal at Antwerp-Central? Highly unlikely!.
- Trenitalia (FS Group) and Certares agree strategic partnership to expand international high-speed rail operations.
- #CROSSCHANNELRAIL | Expanding UK-Europe train links most realistically leading to Switzerland.
- CHANNEL TUNNEL | Virgin Trains gains access to Temple Mills, ORR snubs links to Germany and Switzerland.
- Eurostar unveils €2 billion Alstom ‘Celestia’ fleet of double-decker sustainable trains.
- Gemini Trains partners with Uber for Stratford to France Channel Tunnel route.
- Eurostar and St. Pancras Highspeed back major station expansion to double capacity amid growing international demand.
- EUROSTAR | London – Frankfurt, London – Geneva and Amsterdam – Antwerp – Brussels – Geneva from 2030?.
- Alstom wants its double-decker trains to ride through Channel Tunnel.
- Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane (FS) plan to launch a new high-speed link between London and Paris.
- London St. Pancras Highspeed pledges financial support for cross-Channel rail services.
- London St Pancras Highspeed and Getlink aspire to to triple train services to France, Belgium and the Netherlands and add services to Germany and Switzerland.
- Heuro wants to operate high speeds trains between Amsterdam, Antwerp, Brussels, Paris and London from 2028.
Yes, please. 😋
jonworth.eu
tripbytrip.org/2026/02/04/b…
Let’s not hold our breath 😬
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