In 2017 a record number of 4,800,000 travellers took the train to and from Brussels Airport

Last year a record number of 4,800,000 travellers took the train to and from Brussels Airport. This is 12% more than the previous record of 4,200,000 passengers in 2015. In recent years the offer of the Brussels Airport-Zaventem express has expanded considerably.

“As Brussels Airport last year welcomed 24,800,000 passengers this means that a quarter of all airport passengers use the train“, NMBS/SNCB added in the press release. “The train is becoming increasingly popular to travel to and from Brussels Airport, it is therefore one of the easiest and fastest way to get there. Close to the terminal and we have a strong network schedule: not less than 78 Belgian stations have a direct train connection with the airport (during weekdays).”

From Brussels, six trains per hour run to Brussels Airport every day of the week. Thanks to the opening of a new tunnel (Schuman-Josaphat) in April 2016, we can offer two direct trains every hour between the European district and the airport (weekdays only).

New transport plan
Thanks to the new transport plan, direct trains between Knokke and the airport have been operating since December last year and Bruges also has a direct train connection with Brussels Airport during the weekend. The complete timetable to and from Brussels Airport-Zaventem can be found via the NMBS/SNCB route planner, via the websites www.nmbs.be and www.sncb.be or the NMBS/SNCB app, the customer service or the station and train staff.

Fleurus as a gateway to the airport
By 2021 NMBS/SNCB will also have an improved accessibility by train from Brussels South Charleroi Airport (BSCA). The station of Fleurus, which is only a few kilometers from the airport, will be renovated and more trains will stop. In both directions there will be two trains per hour from early in the morning until late at night. At Fleurus station, passengers can then switch to shuttle buses to BSCA. A smoother bus connection to this airport is also being investigated for the Luttre station.