Deutsche Bahn is growing its cross-border services to the west, with extra high speed rail links to Belgium this summer, as well as new connections later in the year from Cologne to Brussels Airport and the North Sea coast.
There is good news for train travellers in western Germany!
German rail operator Deutsche Bahn is set to expand its international connections with more services from Cologne to the Belgian capital of Brussels over the summer, as well as plans for a direct link to Brussels Airport later in the year.
From June 2026, extra high-speed ICE trains will run between Cologne Central Station and Brussels, with one more connection per day than before. The offer – which includes several new destinations – will initially be in place until the end of August.
During this period, the high-speed train will also stop in the Belgian city of Leuven and at Brussels-North station.
The new connection brings the total number of daily return journeys between Cologne and Belgium to nine.
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Ghent and Bruges at the weekend
Travellers can also take advantage of a special route during weekends.
Deutsche Bahn is running services to the popular tourist cities of Ghent and Bruges for the first time. Meanwhile, a direct service from Cologne to the Belgian coastal city of Ostend on the North Sea – another favourite visitor destination – will also be introduced.
The journey from Cologne Hauptbahnhof to Ostend will take around three and a half hours.
Trains to the North Sea coast, which will initially run only at weekends, depart shortly after 10am from Cologne and travel via Aachen, Liège and Brussels. They arrive at Gent-Sint-Pieters railway station in Ghent at 1pm, Bruges at 1.30pm and Ostend at 1.47pm.
The return journey departs from Ostend shortly before 2.30pm, with passengers scheduled to arrive in Cologne at 5.50pm.
Deutsche Bahn is cooperating with the Belgian train operator SNCB to expand cross-border links.
The newest ICE 3neo models, which have been in service since summer 2024, are set to be used on this route.
New direct connection to Brussels Airport
From September 2026, the first-ever ICE connection to Brussels Airport will launch as part of a new international direct service between Cologne and Antwerp.
Deutsche Bahn said it had teamed up with Brussels Airlines to offer “easy and convenient travel to and from Brussels Airport”. Travellers will have the option of booking train and flight tickets together.
The connection to Brussels Airport, which takes around two hours, forms part of the new ICE link between Cologne and Antwerp via Aachen, Liège and Leuven.
From September 7th, two daily return journeys will run between Cologne Central Station and Brussels Airport, continuing on to Antwerp.
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