Antwerp and Cologne High-Speed Train Connection Launch

Antwerp is now directly connected to Cologne by high-speed train for the first time, giving the city a new rail gateway to Germany and, via Cologne’s major railway hub, onward destinations in Switzerland and Central and Eastern Europe. The new Deutsche Bahn ICE service also puts Brussels Airport back on the international high-speed rail network after more than a decade.

The first ICE from Cologne arrived at Antwerp-Central Railway Station on Monday morning, 7 September 2026, marking the start of two daily services in each direction. The trains call at Aachen, Liège-Guillemins, Leuven, and Brussels Airport – Zaventem before reaching Antwerp.

The new connection is particularly attractive for visitors from North Rhine-Westphalia. The first train leaves Cologne at 06:11 and arrives at Brussels Airport at 08:29 and Antwerp-Central at 08:58. Visitors from the Cologne and wider Rhine-Ruhr region can therefore reach Antwerp in time for a full day in the city, with the second ICE back to Germany leaving Antwerp at 19:01.

The timetable is less convenient in the opposite direction. For Antwerp residents, the first train to Cologne does not leave until 11:01, while the return service from Cologne leaves at 14:38. This means that, at present, the new service is better suited to a day trip from Germany to Antwerp than to a day trip in the opposite direction.

Els van Doesburg (N-VA), Mayor of Antwerp, said the new connection would strengthen both tourism and the city’s economy.

“Rubens called both the city on the Scheldt and the city of the Dom his home. Today, they are just one train journey apart. This new connection will not only become the way for visitors from the Rhine region to come to Antwerp, or vice versa. It also strengthens our competitiveness: investors and companies will now find their way to our city more easily.”

Train schedule display for an ICE train to Keulen Hbf, showing stops at various stations including Brus Airport, Leuven, and Aken Hbf. — The first ICE out of Antwerp.

A busy train station platform with a high-speed train, featuring a display board showing train information. Two travelers, a man with a backpack and a woman with a suitcase, are walking towards the train. — The first ICE out of Antwerp.

Gateway to Germany and beyond

The Cologne connection is significant beyond the German city itself. Cologne Main Station is one of Germany’s major railway hubs, with extensive connections across the country and onward to destinations elsewhere in Europe. Antwerp passengers can therefore reach a much wider range of destinations by making a single connection in Cologne.

For Antwerp, the ICE also represents an important expansion of its international rail network. Antwerp-Central has now officially joined the ICE network, alongside Brussels and Frankfurt’s existing international connections.

The trains provide two daily return services throughout the week. Departures from Antwerp-Central are scheduled for 11:01 and 19:01, while trains leave Köln Hauptbahnhof at 06:11 and 14:38. The journey between Antwerp and Cologne takes around two hours and 20 minutes.

Tickets are available from €29.99.

Sophie Dutordoir, CEO of NMBS / SNCB, said the service would improve international connections for several Belgian cities.

“Thanks to this new ICE connection, Antwerp, Brussels Airport, Leuven and Liège all have a direct high-speed train to Germany. Sustainable travel between economically, culturally and touristically important cities is becoming even more attractive. At the same time, we are strengthening the international accessibility of Brussels Airport and offering travellers even more possibilities to combine train and plane. This new connection is the result of years of cooperation between NMBS / SNCB and Deutsche Bahn and the commitment of dedicated railway employees who work every day to provide safe, sustainable and comfortable transport.”

The ICE also gives Leuven its first daily international high-speed train service. From Leuven, the journey to Cologne takes around 90 minutes, while Brussels Airport is less than two hours from Cologne.

Brussels Airport returns to the high-speed network

For Brussels Airport, the new service marks the return of a high-speed rail connection after more than ten years. The airport is now directly connected to Cologne, Aachen, Liège, Leuven and Antwerp, while passengers can also connect with NMBS / SNCB domestic services.

On weekdays, up to 330 trains call at Brussels Airport-Zaventem, which has direct rail connections with around 80 stations in Belgium.

The new ICE service also strengthens the integration of rail and air travel. Brussels Airlines and Deutsche Bahn are offering combined train-and-flight tickets, allowing passengers from western Germany to travel by train to Brussels Airport and continue by air on a single booking.

More than 1,000 tickets have already been sold through the partnership, which was announced in February. New York in the United States, Accra in Ghana, and Alicante in Spain are currently the most popular destinations among passengers using the intermodal product.

Passengers benefit from a guaranteed connection in the event of delays and can earn Miles & More points on eligible journeys. Combined tickets are available through Brussels Airlines, travel agencies and the airline’s usual sales channels.

Brussels Airport CEO Arnaud Feist described the connection as an important development for the airport’s role as an intermodal hub.

“The arrival of this high-speed rail service marks an important step in the further development of Brussels Airport as an intermodal hub. We want to offer travellers a range of sustainable options to travel efficiently to and from the airport, across national borders. Thanks to the connection to the high-speed rail network, passengers can already complete part of their journey by train and enjoy seamless access to the more than 180 destinations in our network.”

Newest generation ICE trains

Deutsche Bahn is operating the service with its latest ICE 3neo trains. The trains can carry more than 400 passengers and have a maximum speed of 300 km/h.

“Direct to Antwerp, direct to Brussels Airport, and all on our state-of-the-art trains: this is how we’re making international rail travel even easier and more appealing for passengers. We’re connecting two key transport hubs via the ICE service: Cologne, as a hub for cross-border long-distance travel, and Brussels Airport, as an international hub for onward journeys by air,” said Michael Peterson, Deutsche Bahn’s Board Member for Long Distance Passenger Transport.

The new route is the second ICE connection between Belgium and Germany, alongside the Brussels to Frankfurt service. With its launch, there are now ten ICE trains per day in both directions between Belgium and Germany.

The service responds to growing demand for international rail travel. Deutsche Bahn says passenger numbers on cross-border ICE services between Belgium and Germany increased by around 18% between 2019 and 2025.

NMBS / SNCB says international train travel is also continuing to grow. Bookings through NMBS / SNCB International increased by 8.8% during the past summer holiday compared with the same period last year, with Germany among the most popular destinations for Belgian rail travellers.

A joint German-Belgian operation

Although the trains are Deutsche Bahn ICEs, the service is closely integrated into the Belgian railway system. Deutsche Bahn is responsible for the commercial operation, while NMBS / SNCB handles the operational side in Belgium.

The ICE services run in Belgium under NMBS / SNCB’s safety licence, and NMBS / SNCB drivers operate half of the ICE trains between Belgium and Germany. NMBS / SNCB also contributes to train cleaning, passenger services and ticket sales through NMBS / SNCB International.

The inaugural journey, however, illustrated some of the challenges of operating international trains on a busy railway network. The train was delayed by several minutes in Aachen, causing it to lose its allocated train path on Infrabel‘s Belgian network. Combined with congestion on lines 25N, 25 and 27, this resulted in the first ICE arriving at Antwerp-Central around 30 minutes late.

The ICE has operated between Belgium and Germany since 2002 and will celebrate its 25th anniversary in Belgium in 2027.

Jean-Luc Crucke (Les Engagés), Belgium’s federal Minister for Mobility, said the new route should be seen as part of a broader ambition to expand international high-speed rail.

“This new ICE connection is excellent news for travellers, for our economy and for more sustainable mobility. It strengthens Belgium’s international connectivity and, for the first time, makes it possible to connect Brussels Airport directly to the ICE network. This connection should be a first step: our ambition is to develop more international high-speed rail connections and better connect our country with major European destinations.”

For now, however, the new timetable gives the strongest immediate opportunity to travellers in Germany.

The new connection nevertheless gives Antwerp something it has never had before: a direct ICE link to Germany, with Cologne acting as a gateway to the wider European railway network.

Trip By Trip