SNCB-International has issued a travel alert for business and leisure passengers using high-speed links between Belgium and Germany. From Monday, 18 May, until Tuesday, 2 June 2026, Deutsche Bahn will carry out major track works on the Aachen–Cologne corridor. Throughout the period, ICE and Nightjet trains will be diverted via Rheydt, adding up to 40 minutes to journey times and forcing a number of ICE services to terminate at Cologne rather than continue to Frankfurt. The Cologne axis is the gateway for many Belgian corporates to Germany’s Rhine-Ruhr industrial belt, so the disruption is expected to affect commuting employees, cross-border freight couriers and travellers connecting to long-haul flights at Frankfurt Airport. SNCB says timetables in its journey planner already reflect the changes, but seat-reservations booked before 18 May may show outdated departure and arrival times. Passengers can exchange tickets without fees if revised timings no longer meet minimum-connection requirements.
![Engineering works in Germany trigger two-week diversions and longer journey times for Brussels–Cologne ICE & Nightjet services]()
In the midst of rescheduling, business travellers who suddenly need to transit via a different country—or verify whether their passport still meets validity rules—can lean on VisaHQ’s Belgium portal (https://www.visahq.com/belgium/) for quick, up-to-date guidance and application support for any visas or travel documents they might require. The service streamlines paperwork and courier logistics, giving mobility managers one less headache while the rails are being repaired.
Mobility managers are advising travellers to pad schedules, especially for same-day return meetings, and to consider alternative routings via Liège–Guillemins and the Thalys/Euronight network where feasible. For overnight trips, Nightjet sleeper passengers should note earlier boarding in Brussels and later arrival in Vienna, Munich and Berlin. The notice dovetails with a string of summer engineering projects across north-west Europe, including work on Belgium’s own high-speed line to France in August and Dutch maintenance on the Rotterdam route in June. Experts say co-ordinated planning is critical: companies that front-load travel in early July could avoid overlapping delays once the French, Dutch and German sites enter simultaneous possession.
In the midst of rescheduling, business travellers who suddenly need to transit via a different country—or verify whether their passport still meets validity rules—can lean on VisaHQ’s Belgium portal (https://www.visahq.com/belgium/) for quick, up-to-date guidance and application support for any visas or travel documents they might require. The service streamlines paperwork and courier logistics, giving mobility managers one less headache while the rails are being repaired.
Mobility managers are advising travellers to pad schedules, especially for same-day return meetings, and to consider alternative routings via Liège–Guillemins and the Thalys/Euronight network where feasible. For overnight trips, Nightjet sleeper passengers should note earlier boarding in Brussels and later arrival in Vienna, Munich and Berlin. The notice dovetails with a string of summer engineering projects across north-west Europe, including work on Belgium’s own high-speed line to France in August and Dutch maintenance on the Rotterdam route in June. Experts say co-ordinated planning is critical: companies that front-load travel in early July could avoid overlapping delays once the French, Dutch and German sites enter simultaneous possession.
