The rail infrastructure at Brussels Airport Station needs an upgrade. The fire protection system will be replaced, the tunnel walls of the Nossegem Tunnel on the Diabolo connection will be treated to prevent moisture seepage, and the tunnel lighting and part of the cable ducts will also be replaced.
A total of 3,5 km of overhead lines will be replaced. During the work, which is scheduled from Saturday, October 3, through Sunday, October 18, train service will be adjusted.
Temporarily no direct trains to Brussels Airport from certain cities
Due to changes in the train schedule, there will temporarily be no direct trains to and from Brussels Airport from Hasselt, Leuven, Liège, Namur, and Dinant. Passengers traveling from these cities can transfer to another train at Brussels-North.
There will also be no direct trains from Knokke for now. Passengers traveling from Knokke can transfer at Brussels-South.
Direct trains to and from Brussels Airport are still running from Antwerp, Bruges, Brussels, Ghent, and the European Quarter in Brussels, but there will be fewer than usual.
For the entire duration of the construction work, more trains will stop at the Zaventem station. There, travelers can use their train ticket to transfer to De Lijn bus lines R26 and 82. These buses run several times an hour to the airport and take 6 minutes.
The NMBS/SNCB advises travelers to plan their trips carefully and allow extra time for travel to and from Brussels Airport.
Additional trains from December to Brussels Airport
Also, starting December 13, it will once again be easier to take the train from Brussels to the airport: on weekdays, additional early and late trains will run between the European Quarter and Brussels Airport-Zaventem. The first train departs from Brussels-Luxembourg Station at 5:23 a.m. In the evening, the last train departs from Brussels Airport toward the European Quarter at 10:17 p.m.
In December 2027, additional early trains to the airport will return on weekdays and weekends. The first train (departing from Bruges) will then leave Brussels-South as early as 3:13 a.m. Currently, it departs an hour later. Additional trains will also be added to other routes, such as, for example, between Leuven and Brussels, with a stop at Brussels Airport.
More S-trains to and from Brussels in the future
In general, there will also be more trains in the capital starting December 13, both on weekdays and on weekends. For example, there will now be 4 S-trains per hour in both directions between Brussels and Louvain-la-Neuve. Specifically, this means that passengers from Aalst will have a train every half hour to Etterbeek Station, near the VUB campus.
There will also be additional late-night S-trains running on Friday and Saturday evenings between Brussels and Zottegem and between Brussels and Louvain-la-Neuve. The last train departing from Brussels will leave after midnight, one hour later than it does now. From Zottegem and Louvain-la-Neuve, the last train will depart around 11:00 p.m., also one hour later. And on Saturday, a second S-train per hour will now run in both directions between Halle, Brussels, and Vilvoorde.
Also new: on Saturday, 2 S8 trains will run in both directions between Brussels, Ottignies, and Louvain-la-Neuve. As a result, an S-train bound for Brussels-South and Louvain-la-Neuve will stop at several Brussels stations every half hour.
The NMBS/SNCB will also improve accessibility for passengers with limited mobility at 14 stations in BRussels. For example, new elevators leading to the platforms will be installed at Brussels Central Station. 13 stations in BRussels will also receive renovated and/or expanded bicycle parking facilities.
