Previously the Berchtesgaden–Hangender Stein railway, also called the Grüne Elektrische ("Green Electric") started from the station.

The station is located in the southwest of the historic market centre of Berchtesgaden in the valley of the Ramsauer Ache on Federal Highway 305.

It was extended to Hangender Stein on 15 January 1908 and it was completed to Salzburg on 4 June 1909, creating a second through line to the station.

It also received a station underpass between the platform and the freight shed, which was built on the site of the old salt works.

On 2 October 1938, the local service was closed to Salzburg so that this line could be rebuilt with double track, but this project was abandoned after the Second World War.

The large frescoes on the east and west side inside the concourse by Maria Harrich were not created until the early 1950s.

The service on the Königssee Railway ended on 2 October 1965 and the line was officially closed on 1 April 1971.

Platform lengths and heights are as follows:[7] The station is served by hourly trains of the Berchtesgadener Land Bahn on the Berchtesgaden–Freilassing route; these operate as line 4 of the Salzburg S-Bahn.

An Intercity pair of trains, the Königssee runs from Hamburg to Berchtesgaden and back once a day; it is designated as a Regional-Express from Freilassing.