Belgian, French and Swiss rail operators announced on 12 June that a non-stop TGV INOUÏ will run three times a week between Brussels-South and Basel from July 2027. The train will depart Brussels around 07:00, pass Lille and Strasbourg, and arrive in Basel by 12:30, shaving almost two hours off current fastest connections. Although the launch is a year away, multinational firms in pharmaceuticals and finance – sectors with major hubs in both cities – welcomed the project. The route offers a low-carbon alternative to short-haul flights and avoids potential airport noise restrictions under debate in Brussels. SNCB says corporate season-tickets and seat blocks for group travel will open for sale in Q1 2027. Infrastructure works on the French LGV Est line will begin this autumn to accommodate the service, but no construction is planned on Belgian territory. Travel-time reliability will depend on final slot harmonisation with freight operators in the Rhine corridor. By signalling confidence in high-speed rail demand, the project adds pressure on airlines to decarbonise or exit marginal intra-EU routes, a trend already visible after the Paris–Amsterdam and Cologne–Frankfurt shifts to rail.
Source: The Brussels Times
