The construction of a new freight yard started in the 1970s, which was located to the east of the station on Neuhäuser Weg.

[3][4][5] Ilmenau station is located at line-kilometre 19.18 (distance calculated from Plaue) of the Arnstadt–Ilmenau railway, which was opened in 1879 and was extended to Themar in 1904.

Ilmenau station was built by the Prussian state railways in 1879 as a relatively simple, red brick building typical of the time.

In GDR times, the western side of the station was covered with red asbestos shingles, which disrupted the originally uniform brick architecture.

After the station building was unused between 1998 and 2005, a Deutsche Bahn Servicecenter was opened in autumn 2005, but this was closed in 2008.

A long goods shed that joined to the north of the station building was built, but it was demolished in the 1990s and the area is now used for a car park.

The renovation of the main building and the construction of the extension were followed by a redesign of the surrounding area and forecourt, which was completed in spring 2014.

The reception building currently houses a waiting room, a taxi service, a bicycle shop and various offices.

[9] 20 services are currently operated daily with Stadler-Regio-Shuttles in double sets (150 seats and room for 180 standees) from Ilmenau station, which take about an hour to reach Erfurt Hauptbahnhof.

Railway traffic continues to play an important role in Ilmenau, as many of the 7,000 students at the Technical University travel by train.

Until 2016, garbage was loaded on freight trains by Rennsteigbahn in Ilmenau and transported to the waste incineration plant in Leuna.

As "a welcome sign" all travellers who leave the station are greeted by miniature replicas of a Kickelhahn tower and the Goethehäuschen (Goethe's cabin).

The platform, the cobblestone pavement of the forecourt, pedestrian paths and parking lots were partly re-laid.