Situated on the eastern shore of Lake Van, 5.8 km (3.6 mi) west of the city center, the station serves as a connection between modes of transport, with two slips carrying a total of seven tracks.

TCDD Taşımacılık operates a ferry between Van and Tatvan, which also carries freight railcars and automobiles across the lake.

Up until July 2015, the Trans-Asia Express, from Tehran, Iran, stopped at the station.

Passengers would travel to Tatvan via ferry, where the western half of the train would continue to Ankara.

Van Pier station was opened in 1971 by the Turkish State Railways.