The Y&NMR opened the first part of its route through the village on 29 May 1839, completing it the following year. On completion of a branch from there to Harrogate via Wetherby and Tadcaster by the Y&NM in 1848 a new station on a slightly different site gave it new importance and within two years it had become a calling point on the new East Coast Main Line from York to London with the opening of a line from Burton Salmon to Knottingley. Further development of the station occurred in 1869, when a link was opened by the North Eastern Railway from there to Micklefield on the former Leeds and Selby Railway to create a new main line between Leeds and York. The NER had been looking to shorten the previous, indirect route between the two cities via Castleford for some time prior to this, but plans to build a line via Tadcaster had come to nothing and so this alternative route was chosen. The existing line from here to York was subsequently quadrupled to handle the increased levels of traffic and the station substantially altered, with the addition of extra platforms and connections between the two pairs of lines. The station lost its ECML status in 1871 when the new direct line from York to Doncaster via Selby was opened, but trains from London to Harrogate continued to call and yet another addition to the list of routes serving the station came in 1879 when the Swinton and Knottingley Joint Railway line via Pontefract Baghill and Ferrybridge was opened. In connection with the quadrupling of the lines the present station was opened in 1904 slightly south of the second station. Today the station remains busy, even though the Harrogate line fell victim to the Beeching Axe in January 1964 and passenger trains towards Castleford ended six years later. The Leeds to York Line carries a frequent passenger service whilst the line towards Sherburn, Milford Junction and thence to Knottingley, Castleford and Pontefract carries large quantities of freight. Northern operates all services that call on the Leeds to York, Dearne Valley and Hull to York routes that run through the four operational platforms. The station is covered by a long-line automatic P.A system to provide real-time train running details. Passenger information screens are also installed and there is a ticket machine available for passengers to buy tickets or a permit to travel. Access to all four platforms is via footbridge, so there is no step-free access to any of the platforms. The former booking office at street level is now in private commercial use as a restaurant, but the platform level buildings were all demolished by 1990.
Services
The service levels at the station were increased significantly at the summer 2018 timetable change and modified again in December 2018 - trains on the York to Leeds line now call hourly each way throughout the day, whilst many York to Hull and trains also stop. Most Leeds-bound services normally continue through to via Bradford Interchange and run express to Leeds. A limited service is also provided to via the Dearne Valley line. Sundays now also see an hourly service to Leeds and York, plus two trains to and from Sheffield and three to Hull. Most Leeds services continue to Blackpool North.
