[1]: 113  The first train, with authorities, arrived on 31 August 1860 while the station was still under construction and the official opening took place on Sunday 30 September 1860.

[1]: 114  A ceremony and festivities occurred at the station and in the city, on a platform installed in the centre of the station with speeches from officials including the Prefect and Barthélemy Eyrolles, mayor of Brive, before a blessing by the bishop of Tulle, in front of an estimated crowd of 20,000 people.

That same year there were eight railway men employed on the station site,[2] which included a modest building built of a wood frame and bricks.

It completed the site construction with, to the west towards Périgueux, a depot designed for twelve locomotives.

[3]: 4 In 2013, Brive railway station underwent a number of renovations and redevelopments to improve its role as a "multimodal hub".

[4] The Northern forecourt was completely redesigned with the installation of car drop-off zones, a bus station, taxi lanes and bike parking.