Night trains to Brussels Airport from December 2027
From December 2027, SNCB/NMBS will operate night trains to Brussels Airport seven days a week from Bruges, Ghent and Brussels. These will arrive at the airport as early as 3.30 am, Belgium’s national rail operator announced on Friday.
Currently, the earliest trains from Bruges and Ghent arrive at Brussels Airport on weekdays only after 5.30 am, and those from Brussels arrive around 4.30 am. At weekends, this is even later, meaning travellers on early flights cannot rely on the train.
The night-time services are included in the new three-year transport plan, which comes into effect in December. During this period, the aim is to increase train services by 3 per cent. The Council of Ministers approved the plan on Friday.
In the previous plan (2023–2026), services were initially set to increase by 7 per cent, but that target was gradually revised down to 5 per cent. The aim remains to increase train services by 10 per cent between 2023 and 2032, although SNCB notes that the expansions depend on rail capacity, the completion of infrastructure works and the delivery of new trains.
The new plan also includes additional trains between cities and an expansion of the suburban S-train service in and around Brussels, Antwerp, Liège and Charleroi. The new transport plan will be rolled out in three phases: the first in December 2026, followed by a second in December 2027 and a third in December 2028.
In the first phase, starting this December, additional trains are planned on weekdays and at weekends between various cities and within the urban networks around the major cities. SNCB has not yet provided details, but does mention additional late trains to and from Brussels on Saturday evenings. A new station, Braine Alliance, is also set to open in Braine-l’Alleud this December.
Railway station at Brussels Airport in Zaventem © PHOTO BELGIAN_FREELANCE / Werner Lerooy
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