German rail operator Deutsche Bahn (DB) is to start operating train services from Germany to Brussels Airport later this year, as part of a codeshare deal with Brussels Airlines.
DB said it would operate a high-speed service from Cologne to Brussels Airport from 7 September with a journey time of around two hours. The service will operate twice per day in both directions.
Trains from Cologne will also stop at Aachen, Liege and Leuven before arriving at Brussels Airport, with the train then continuing to Antwerp. The service will call at the same stations in the opposite direction.
The train will be operated as a codeshare with Lufthansa-owned Brussels Airlines, with passengers able to combine rail journeys and flights on a single “Express Rail” ticket. Travellers using the service will receive digital boarding passes for each segment of their trip.
Dieter Vranckx, chief commercial officer of Lufthansa Group, said: “The continued expansion of our co-operation with Deutsche Bahn is a key pillar of the Lufthansa Group’s intermodal strategy, bringing air and rail even closer together for our customers.
“By improving rail access to our hubs and better connecting surrounding regions and cities, we are making travel more seamless, efficient and sustainable for our customers.”
Lufthansa Group already works with DB on its longstanding Express Rail intermodal network, which combines flights and rail travel in Germany. This partnership was further expanded in March 2025.
Michael Peterson, member of the management board for long distance passenger transport at DB, added: “We are once again meeting the high demand from our passengers for international rail travel – and at the same time, we are expanding our intermodal offering through our cooperation with Brussels Airlines.”