Plan for new international rail link from Brussels to Paris

Belgian rail operator SNCB and its French counterpart, the SNCF, are planning to launch a new international train service linking Brussels to Paris, according to Belgian newspaper La Libre.

With a launch date set for December 2024, the train would begin in Schaerbeek and pass through the main railway stations in central Brussels before going to Mons, and to Creil and Aulnoye-Aymeries on the French side.

While high-speed trains departing from Brussels-Midi already exist, bringing travellers to Paris in less than 90 minutes, the new service would use non-high-speed lines and offer an alternative at a “competitive price”, an SNCB spokesman told Bruzz.

Belgium’s mobility minister Georges Gilkinet has welcomed the plans. "I am convinced that there is a great demand for cheaper and more regular connections using regular international trains," he told Bruzz.

Gilkinet hopes that tthe new connection can start a few months earlier than anticipated, in time for the Paris Olympics that will kick off in July 2024.

"Many Belgians will travel to France for the 2024 Olympic Games and if this new train offer can be brought forward a few months, they will be able to travel to the games in the most environmentally friendly way," he said.

A study is currently under way to confirm the feasibility of the project. The timetable and any intermediate stops are also yet to be confirmed.