Ruhland station began operations with the opening of the Großenhain–Cottbus railway on 20 April 1870.

It became the administrative seat of the Upper Lusatian Railway Company (Oberlausitzer Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft), when it was established on 11 October 1871.

It operated direct trains to Magdeburg, Breslau (now Wrocław) in Lower Silesia, Dresden, Prague and Cottbus.

Today, the station, which was once a hub of services between the Province of Lower Silesia, the Duchy of Anhalt and the Kingdom of Saxony, is only a stop for regional traffic.

The dilapidated bridges on Elsterbogen-Bernsdorfer Straße were to be replaced and the L 57 would be lowered, allowing increase use by road transport.