In the planning of the Fils Valley Railway (German: Filstalbahn) from Stuttgart to Ulm the chief engineer Michael Knoll foresaw a station southeast of Plochingen.

On 14 December 1846, the Royal Württemberg State Railways (Königlich Württembergische Staats-Eisenbahnen) officially opened the Esslingen–Plochingen line.

The growth of rail traffic made an extension of the railway facilities inevitable.

These included the laying of many new tracks, the widening of platforms, the installation of new signal boxes and the inauguration of a new roundhouse and water tower.

The current station building was built in 1905–1907 to a design by the famous architect Theodor Fischer in the Art Nouveau style.

On 1 June 1913, Plochingen suffered major damage from a tornado and the station was affected, particularly the platform canopies.

North of the station is a depot for the maintenance of electric multiple units of the Stuttgart S-Bahn.