Both lines were operated by the Royal Württemberg State Railways (Königlich Württembergischen Staats-Eisenbahnen) and they received their own platform tracks to the west of the station.

A very thin canopy marks the main entrance; its cladding with gold-anodised aluminum plates refers to the importance of the watch and jewelry industry for Pforzheim.

[8][9] In the main hall there is a large wall relief by Josef Karl Huber,[7] on the theme of the "Gold City [Pforzheim] at the gate of the Black Forest" (Goldstadt an der Schwarzwaldpforte), which includes a dynamic pattern of swinging curves.

[12] In a second construction phase, starting in October 2015, the platforms on the tracks 1, 2/3, 4/5 and 103/104[13] were raised to 55 centimetres above the top of the rail to allow easier and sometimes stepless access to the trains.

[13] The conversion cost €7.3 million, of which the city of Pforzheim funded €1.8 m.[7] West of the main station, Abellio Rail Baden-Württemberg plans to build a depot with sidings between the end of 2017 and the beginning of 2019.

[18] The Nagold Valley Railway was served predominantly by regional services; between 1952 and 1964 an express train operated from Frankfurt running via Pforzheim and Horb to Konstanz.