SNCB to start running early morning trains to Brussels Airport

Beginning in December 2027, Belgian railway company SNCB will run early morning trains to Brussels Airport seven days a week from Bruges, Ghent and Brussels.

These trains will arrive at the airport as early as 3.30.

Currently, the earliest trains from Bruges and Ghent on weekdays do not arrive at the Zaventem Airport station until after 5.30, while those from Brussels arrive around 4.30. During weekends, arrival times are even later, meaning travellers cannot rely on the train to catch an early flight.

The new early morning services are included in the latest three-year transport plan, which comes into effect in December after being approved by the Council of Ministers last week. During this three-year period, the aim is for train services to increase by 3%.

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, a second in December 2027 and a third in December 2028.

In the first phase, extra trains will be provided on weekdays, at weekends between various cities and on the urban network around the major cities. SNCB has not yet provided details, but does mention extra early-morning trains to and from Brussels on Saturday evenings.

In the previous transport plan (2023–2026), the service was initially set to grow by 7% but that target was gradually revised down to 5%.

The aim remains to increase train services by 10% overall between 2023 and 2032, though SNCB noted that the expansions depend on rail capacity, the completion of infrastructure works and the delivery of new trains.