International passenger services operated under the OUIGO, EuroCity and Eurocity Direct brands have recorded more than 4.5 million passengers during their first year of operation. The figures cover services linking Brussels with Paris, Amsterdam and Rotterdam, launched between mid and late December 2024.
Operated jointly by SNCB and SNCF Voyageurs, the service offers three daily round trips in each direction on weekdays and weekends. The journey time is around three hours, with intermediate stops at Mons in Belgium and Aulnoye-Aymeries, Saint-Quentin and Creil in France. During its first year, close to one million passengers used the service, with average occupancy exceeding 80%. Demand was highest during school holidays, long weekends and the Christmas and New Year period, with family travel accounting for a notable share of ticket sales.
Cross-border services to the Netherlands were introduced shortly before, on 15 December 2024. The Eurocity Direct service connects Brussels-Midi with Amsterdam-Zuid in around two hours and operates up to 16 round trips per day. In parallel, the EuroCity service links Brussels with Rotterdam via Brussels Airport, also with up to 16 daily round trips. Combined, the two services carried approximately 3.5 million passengers in their first year of operation. Usage peaks were observed during public holidays and school vacation periods.
Ticket pricing on the routes has been positioned towards flexible and lower-fare travel. One-way fares on the Brussels–Paris OUIGO service range from EUR 10 to EUR 59, with reduced prices for children. Eurocity Direct tickets between Brussels and Amsterdam start at around EUR 25, while EuroCity fares to Rotterdam are available from approximately EUR 13.60, depending on availability and travel conditions.
The introduction of these services has increased the role of Brussels-Midi as an international rail interchange, handling large volumes of cross-border passenger traffic each week. The services form part of a wider portfolio of international rail connections offered from Belgium, providing access to several thousand destinations across Europe through direct services or limited transfers.
