Intercity Brussels–Luxembourg

Climbs from Brussels through the forested Ardennes via Namur and Arlon; planned upgrades aim to cut the three-hour run to Luxembourg below two hours by 2030.

Line 161/162 has carried this cross-border Intercity since 1858, climbing steadily from the Sonian Forest’s beeches into the Ardennes plateau. Namur passes beneath its Vauban citadel at the Meuse–Sambre meeting, then the train works up through Ciney and Libramont’s high farm country before the finale: Luxembourg City entered across deep green gorges on a chain of viaducts. Three unhurried hours, and one of the cheapest international tickets in Europe. Luxembourg’s domestic public transport has been free since 2020.

Stations

1. 0 kmBruxelles-Central - Brussel-Centraal +7
2. 2 kmBruxelles-Nord - Brussel-Noord +7
3. 7 kmBruxelles-Schuman - Brussel-Schuman
4. 8 kmBrussels-Luxembourg
5. 31 kmOttignies +1
6. 46 kmGembloux
7. 63 kmNamur +2
8. 92 kmCiney
9. 114 kmMarloie
10. 120 kmRochefort-Jemelle
11. 153 kmLibramont
12. 178 kmMarbehan
13. 199 kmArlon
14. 227 kmLuxembourg +5

The stations OpenStreetMap lists for this service, in order, with the distance along the line as drawn here. A train may skip some of them. A +N after a station: N other routes on this map stop or end there, and the map draws it as a station where lines meet.

Along the way

• Sonian Forest exit from Brussels
• Namur citadel over the Meuse
• Famenne and Ardennes plateaux
• Libramont high country
• Viaduct approach to Luxembourg City

How this line was checked

• Line drawn from OpenStreetMap relation 241358: the same nodes OpenStreetMap holds for this railway, thinned to within under 25 m of them
• Checked against OpenStreetMap: the whole line lies on real track, a median 6 m from it
• Checked against the running timetable via SNCB: our line passes within 279 m of every station Luxembourg (LU) -- Bruxelles-Midi calls at (the operator publishes no route geometry to compare)
• See for yourself: open this line on the map with OpenStreetMap's own railway drawn underneath it

Questions and answers

How long is the Intercity?

The Intercity runs 219 km from Brussels to Luxembourg. It runs through Belgium and Luxembourg.

How long does the Intercity take?

The fastest scheduled journey is 3 h 5 min for the 219 km. That is an average of 71 km/h end to end. The line's top service speed is 160 km/h.

Who runs the Intercity?

SNCB and CFL, with I11, HLE 18.

How old is the Intercity?

The line has been in service since 1858. That is the year the atlas dates it from: for a modern brand running over an older railway, it is the railway's date, not the brand's.

How often does the Intercity run?

Hourly.

View on the world railway map →