[5][6][7] The journey to Flinders Street railway station is approximately 8.5 km (5.3 mi) and takes 15 minutes.

The platforms are of standard design for the Melbourne commuter rail network, with an asphalt surface and concrete edges.

[10][15] Malvern station is situated on Crown Allotment 59, purchased in 1854 by Thomas Fulton, Lauchlan Mackinnon, and Frederick Sargood for a sum of £310.

[14][17] He claimed that the route would capture a substantial portion of the daily commuter traffic that was currently using other means of transport to and from the city.

[14][17] In 1877, the State Government obtained the assets of the Melbourne and Hobson's Bay United Railway Company.

[18] A decision was reached to extend the railway line from South Yarra through Malvern, Caulfield, and Oakleigh.

[14] This extension would link the suburban railway network with the government's country service, providing access to Gippsland.

[14] During the surveying of the Malvern section, the railway line's path crossed William Chandler's property, including his house and land.

It was designed by James Hardy, chief architect for the Department of Way and Works, to provide improved and additional facilities to what had become an increasingly busy and important location on the train network.

[26] In 2015, Stonnington Council rezoned land surrounding the station to allow for higher density residential and commercial development.

[27][28][29] Following this decision, Kokoda Property acquired multiple parcels of land immediately south of the station to construct two apartment towers.

[35][36][37][38] In 1935, a cow escaped from its herd near Dandenong and Orrong roads in Armadale and made its way to the platforms at Malvern station.

[40][41] In June 2014, a 17 year old Beaumaris male was fatally injured when he leaned out of a moving train 200 m from Malvern station.

[44][45] The station is currently served by Pakenham, Cranbourne, and Frankston line trains—all on the metropolitan railway network.

[46] Due to low patronage, the Cranbourne and Pakenham lines only stop at the station during off-peak periods.

[51] The route 64 tram service operates from nearby Dandenong Road up towards the city and down towards East Brighton.