Ararat station opened when the railway line from Ballarat was extended to the town.

[3] Two signal boxes ("A" and "B") opened in 1891 and, in 1914, the goods sidings were extended, with the locomotive depot built soon after.

An 85-foot (26 m) turntable was installed, with 24 roads around it, the largest on the Victorian Railways network.

On 11 July 2004, the broad gauge line to Ballarat and Melbourne was reopened, with V/Line passenger services being reinstated.

[2] The Murray Basin Rail Project, which began in 2016, included reopening of the line from Ararat to Maryborough.

In early 2018, the line was officially re-opened at Avoca, after having sat idle for more than 13 years.

[13] By early 2021, the project had been completed, with a new timetable being introduced on 31 January of that year.