Opened in 1904, it was a station on the Beijing-Hankou Railway (now part of Beijing-Guangzhou Railway).
At the beginning, the station had only one platform and four tracks.
In 1908, the Kaifeng-Luoyang Railway (now part of Longhai Railway) was put into operation, making the station an important railway junction.

In 1913, the station was renamed as Zheng County railway station (Chinese: 郑县站).
Ticket offices and platform canopies were put into use in 1928 and the freight yard was constructed in 1932.

During the Second Sino-Japanese War, the station was severely damaged due to air strike by the Japanese army in February 1938 and the tracks between Zhengzhou and Zhongmu were destroyed in May 1938 by the flood.
Services were therefore suspended.

The station was taken over by the PLA in 1948 and the Zhengzhou Railway Administration Bureau was established in March 1949.

In October 1952, Mao Zedong visited the station.
He told Teng Daiyuan, the Minister of Railways then, to highly value the pivotal status of the station, and instructed the station to be built as "the largest and the most complete passenger station in the Far East".
The station has been expanded several times in the following decades.
The freight yard was moved east to Erligang in 1953 to establish a new freight station and the marshalling yard was separated from the station in 1962 to form the current Zhengzhou North railway station.
The station has become a dedicated passenger station since then.
The main station building was completed in 1959, and canopies were added to the platforms in 1970s.

In 1987, a major renovation of the station started.
The elevated waiting halls were completed and put into use in January 1992.
The whole project lasted 12 years and was completed with the opening of the new main station building (current east station building) in 1999.

To relieve the traffic pressure on the east plaza of the station, construction of the west station building and west plaza was started in 2007.
The west station building, together with new column-free platform canopies, the 7th and 8th elevated waiting halls and the 7th platform (current Platform 12 and 13) were put into use in 2010.

On 28 December 2013, with the opening of Zhengzhou Metro Line 1, the station began to have metro access on the west entrance.

The Zhengzhou-Jiaozuo Intercity Railway commenced operation in 2015, making the station an integrated railway hub with conventional long distance, high-speed and intercity train services.
Opened in 1904, it was a station on the Beijing-Hankou Railway (now part of Beijing-Guangzhou Railway). At the beginning, the station had only one platform and four tracks. In 1908, the Kaifeng-Luoyang Railway (now part of Longhai Railway) was put into operation, making the station an important railway junction.
In 1913, the station was renamed as Zheng County railway station (Chinese: 郑县站). Ticket offices and platform canopies were put into use in 1928 and the freight yard was constructed in 1932.
During the Second Sino-Japanese War, the station was severely damaged due to air strike by the Japanese army in February 1938 and the tracks between Zhengzhou and Zhongmu were destroyed in May 1938 by the flood. Services were therefore suspended.
The station was taken over by the PLA in 1948 and the Zhengzhou Railway Administration Bureau was established in March 1949.
In October 1952, Mao Zedong visited the station. He told Teng Daiyuan, the Minister of Railways then, to highly value the pivotal status of the station, and instructed the station to be built as "the largest and the most complete passenger station in the Far East". The station has been expanded several times in the following decades. The freight yard was moved east to Erligang in 1953 to establish a new freight station and the marshalling yard was separated from the station in 1962 to form the current Zhengzhou North railway station. The station has become a dedicated passenger station since then. The main station building was completed in 1959, and canopies were added to the platforms in 1970s.
In 1987, a major renovation of the station started. The elevated waiting halls were completed and put into use in January 1992. The whole project lasted 12 years and was completed with the opening of the new main station building (current east station building) in 1999.
To relieve the traffic pressure on the east plaza of the station, construction of the west station building and west plaza was started in 2007. The west station building, together with new column-free platform canopies, the 7th and 8th elevated waiting halls and the 7th platform (current Platform 12 and 13) were put into use in 2010.
On 28 December 2013, with the opening of Zhengzhou Metro Line 1, the station began to have metro access on the west entrance.
The Zhengzhou-Jiaozuo Intercity Railway commenced operation in 2015, making the station an integrated railway hub with conventional long distance, high-speed and intercity train services.
Zhengzhou railway station