Located 402.02 kilometers (249.80 mi) from Oslo Central Station, it is served by long-distance trains operated by Go-Ahead Norge.

The station was opened on 17 December 1943 as part of the segment of the Sørlandet Line between Kristiansand and Sira.

Marnardal Station was built during the Second World War under the German-administrated expansion of the Sørlandet Line west of Kristiansand.

This included the coastal town of Mandal, situated 25 kilometers (16 mi) to the south, at the mouth of the valley.

He took the name of the river, Mandalselva, used its genitive form marnar and added suffix dal which means "valley".

Irregular revenue traffic commenced on the line on 17 December 1943 and the station became operative from the same day.

Because of the switch from steam to electric traction at the station, Marnardal received a turntable and an engine shed.

[3] Due to short platforms, Marnardal Station was in a 2010 report proposed to be renovated or closed.

[4] Due to this report, the Norwegian National Rail Administration carried out a major renovation in 2012.

[citation needed] The station buildings along the Sørlandet Line were mostly standardized designs.

Marnardal followed late in a rather standardized period of Neoclassical architecture used by the Norwegian State Railways since the 1920s.

[8] Most trains serve track 1, a side platform situation at grade with the station building, access roads and parking.

In this area a major task of the Sørlandet Line trains are to feed commuters to the city.