It is an important station for the Karlsruhe Stadtbahn, being served by four of its lines, which are operated by the Albtal-Verkehrs-Gesellschaft ("Alb Valley Transport Company", AVG).

Since at that time Rastatt was a fortress of the German Confederation and was protected by ramparts and a ditch, the line ran to the east of the town at first.

With the abolition of the fortifications in 1890, the station was relocated to the west, nearer the centre of the town, and the current entrance building was built.

Deutsche Bahn regional and long distance trains and Karlsruhe Stadtbahn services to and from Baden-Baden operate on tracks 3 and 4.

Tracks 1 and 2 are no longer regularly used by passenger services; earlier they were used by cross-border trains on the Rhine Railway.