ICE will now run directly between Leuven and Cologne

Since Monday, September 7, Leuven has had a new direct train connection to Germany. Two ICE trains a day provide a direct connection between Leuven and Köln Hbf. The trains also continue on to Brussels Airport and Antwerp Central.

For Leuven, this marks a significant expansion of international rail service. From now on, passengers can travel from the city in Flemish Brabant to Germany without having to change trains.

Twice a day

The new service is operated by Deutsche Bahn in cooperation with NMBS. The ICE runs on the route Antwerp Central – Brussels Airport-Zaventem – Leuven – Liège-Guillemins – Aachen Hbf – Cologne Hbf.

Two trains run daily in both directions.

Trains depart from Cologne in the morning and in the afternoon. The two trains depart from Leuven at 11:48 a.m. and 7:48 p.m. bound for Germany.

The trip between Leuven and Cologne takes about an hour and a half.

Antwerp and Brussels Airport are also directly connected

The expansion isn't just important for Leuven. It will also give Antwerp a direct ICE connection to Germany.

In addition, Brussels Airport-Zaventem is now directly connected to the German ICE network. This allows travelers to travel directly from Germany to the airport and vice versa.

According to NMBS executive Sophie Dutordoir, the route is intended to make international rail travel between Belgium and Germany more attractive.

Germany Is Important to Leuven

The new connection could also play a role in promoting tourism in Leuven. After Belgians and Dutch visitors, German visitors are a major group of overnight visitors to the city.

In 2025, German visitors accounted for 32,497 overnight stays in Leuven, representing 6.3 percent of the total number of overnight stays.

Visit Leuven therefore plans to work with Tourism Flanders to use the new train connection to further promote Leuven in the German market.

Tickets starting at €19.99

According to NMBS International, those who book early can find tickets starting at €19.99. The final price depends on factors such as availability and the time of booking.

Tickets are available through NMBS International and the various sales channels of the rail companies.

Sources

• NMBS / NMBS International – Information about the new ICE connection between Belgium and Germany.

• Deutsche Bahn – timetable and information about the ICE service.

• City of Leuven / Visit Leuven – information about the connection’s impact on tourism and the German market.

• HLN – coverage of the launch of the new route.

This article was independently compiled by TrainNews based on publicly available information. The text is not a verbatim reproduction of the original report.