Brussels Airlines Announces New High Speed Inter-Modal Rail Connection Between Cologne and Brussels
- Joe Breitfeller
- 4 days ago
- 2 min read
Brussels Airlines has announced a new codeshare partnership with Deutsche Bahn, which will provide an inter-modal high speed rail connection between Cologne and Brussels.
On Thursday (February 26, 2026), Brussels Airlines announced that from September 2026 Deutsche Bahn will connect Brussels Airport with Cologne with a high-speed train, linking German passengers in only two hours to over 180 direct destinations of Brussels Airport. The new codeshare agreement with German rail operator Deutsche Bahn means that the train connection will also have a Brussels Airlines flight number, so passengers can expect smooth connections at Brussels Airport. Tickets for an inter-modal rail and air itinerary are now available for booking.
In Thursday’s announcement, Lufthansa Group’s Chief Commercial Officer, Dieter Vranckx, said,
“The continued expansion of our cooperation 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.”
Also commenting on the new codeshare partnership with Deutsche Bahn, Brussels Airlines’ CEO, Dorothea von Boxberg, said,
“We are very happy to announce the first international high speed rail connection to Brussels Airport. The Western part of Germany has an important African diaspora, which we can now connect to our sub-Saharan African network. Our codeshare with Deutsche Bahn offers smooth connections in the most sustainable way. We work on more connections to come.”
Deutsche Bahn’s Management Board Member – Long Distance Passenger Transport, Michael Peterson, added,
“More and more people are choosing climate-friendly ways to get to their flights. Connecting rail and air travel is very much in trend. The new direct connection from Cologne to Antwerp via Brussels Airport as a hub has two positive aspects: 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.”
The first Deutsche Bahn train operated in codeshare with Brussels Airlines will depart Cologne on September 7, 2026 at 06:11. The train will stop in Cologne, Aachen, Liege, Leuven and Brussels Airport. Afterwards, the train will continue on to Antwerp. The travel time between Cologne and Brussels Airport is approximately two hours. Travelers will enjoy a guaranteed connection, a seat reservation in a fixed carriage, Miles and More miles accrual, and local transport in Germany. Additionally, Status customers will enjoy access to Deutsche Bahn lounges.
Source: Brussels Airlines
