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Getting from Cologne to Lille is easy! On this train journey, you just need to change trains once, at Brussels (Midi/Zuid) station, after your arrival there from Cologne.
This journey of over 300 km from Germany to France takes just over 3 hours on high-speed trains. And as an added bonus, you’ll arrive in the city centre!
The first leg of your journey will take you from the central station in Cologne (Köln Hbf) to Brussels (Midi/Zuid) station. This service runs several times a day with high-speed Eurostar or ICE trains, and takes just 1 hour 47 minutes.
At Brussels (Midi/Zuid) station, board the Eurostar or TGV INOUI trains to Lille. All you have to do is change platforms after your arrival from Cologne. Very easy!
There are around 8 direct trains from Brussels to Lille on weekdays. They’ll take you to Lille Europe train station in around 35 minutes. One of 2 major railway stations in the city, Lille Europe is an international hub for Eurostar and TGV INOUI so if your journey’s taking you further into France, this is the ideal starting point to do so.
Update 06/03, 14h00
Due to announced strike, fewer trains will be operating on the Belgian rail network from Sunday 8 March (10 pm - CET) to Friday 11 March 2026 included.
An alternative train service will be drawn up based on available train staff. All details on this alternative train service will be available 24h in advance on www.belgiantrain.be.
Please take this alternative train service into account if you need to take a domestic connection in Belgium before or after an international train journey, or if you need to take our regional trains just across the border (Roosendaal, Maastricht, Aachen, Luxembourg, Lille or Maubeuge).
More details about international trains:
Eurostar:
Most Eurostar trains operate normally. Please check Eurostar's timetables.
ICE, TGV INOUI and OUIGO
All ICE, TGV INOUI and OUIGO trains to and from Belgium operate normally.
EuroCity (Brussels-Rotterdam)
On Monday 9 March, 12 trains out of 16 will operate in each direction.
The following trains are cancelled:
On Monday 9 March, 8 trains out of 16 circulent will operate from Belgium to the Netherlands and 9 trains out of 16 will operate from the Netherlands to Belgium.
However, please note that most of them will only operate between Brussels and Rotterdam.
The following trains are cancelled:
Besides, Eurocity Direct 9512 (departing from Amsterdam Zuid 06:03) will terminate in Antwerpen-Centraal instead of Brussels.
Validity of tickets for EuroCity & Eurocity Direct:
Nightjet
The Vienna-Brussels train departing on Sunday night 08/03 will terminate in Cologne. The Brussels-Vienna train departing on Monday night 09/03 will depart from Cologne. Between Brussels/Liège and Cologne, Nightjet passengers can use the ICE trains.
Please check this page regularly for further updates.
Due to engineering works at Bruxelles-Nord/Brussel-Noord station, the ICE trains connecting Brussels with Frankfurt will be diverted from their usual itinerary in Brussels on Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 March 2026. As a consequence, they will be following an adapted schedule:
These changes are integrated in our journey planner.
