It was built from 1882 to 1883 by Edmund Lonsdale and Henry Sheldon Hoddard, and was opened on 3 February 1883 when the line was extended from Uralla.

[4] Freight services continued to serve a fertiliser depot at Dumaresq until the mid-2000s, after which the line closed north of Armidale.

Armidale railway precinct is located on the Main North line, which runs from Sydney and extends as far as Wallangarra on the Queensland border.

The Main North Line (formerly known as the Great Northern Railway) runs through the Central Coast, Hunter and New England regions.

The town grew rapidly following the discovery of gold at nearby Rocky River and Gara Gorges in the 1850s.

Lonsdale began his working life as a bricklayer, builder and contractor before beginning a career in state politics (1891–1913), serving as a member for New England and Armidale.

The fine cast-iron work of the station building was completed at New England Foundry in Uralla by Henry Sheldon Goddard.

[7][3] The loco depot closed in 1984 but Armidale remains an operational railway station with daily NSW TrainLink passenger services.

[8][3] Armidale station is served by NSW TrainLink's daily Northern Tablelands Xplorer service operating to and from Sydney.

The second section is a brick and patent steel extension constructed in 1965 (partly re-clad in the 1980s) that provides a large, covered loading area.