Drawings held by Network Rail[3] show that the Liskeard Contract section of Cornwall Railway’s Plymouth to Falmouth scheme, within which Bodmin Road Station was eventually situated, had reached the detailed design stage by June 1854.

Original proposals to build a branch to Bodmin, then the most important town in Cornwall, failed as the company was unable to raise enough capital.

"[5] Respryn was near the entrance to Lanhydrock House, the home of Thomas James Agar-Robartes, 1st Baron Robartes, a railway supporter.

A goods shed was built in 1860 at the east end of the station, behind the platform for trains to Plymouth, and cattle pens were added the following year.

The branch line served the rear of the up (eastbound) platform which meant that the goods shed had to be moved from that area to the opposite end of the station.

In 1958, John Betjeman (who was the poet laureate from 1972 to 1984) wrote in a letter to his friend Peggy Thomas:[11] Perhaps we could all set up at Bodmin Road Station by arrangement with the Great Western – you in the refreshment room because of drink, Lynam in the signal box because of administrative ability, me in the booking office because I’m literary, Edward [Hornby] to do the lamps and odd jobs because he’s so clever with his hands, Douglas to look after the down platform as head porter and Ted as outside boy, pushing trolleys to Bodmin and meeting motor cars on arrival.

[12] It was not until BRB published a public notice under the Transport Act 1962 entitled ‘Withdrawal of Passenger Railway Services’ on 30 April 1964 that confirmation came that the station would remain open ‘to serve the North Cornwall area as a main line railhead’.

[9] In 1969 St Merryn contractors R C Wilce and Sons demolished most of the late Victorian station buildings and replaced them with modern timber structures at a cost of £8,000.

[14] Bodmin Road was renamed 'Bodmin Parkway' on 4 November 1983 and in 1989 Wilce and Sons' station buildings were replaced by brick structures.

[9] In 2002/2003 a £500,000 Rail Passenger Partnership scheme saw the car park being extensively improved and the ticket office block extended.

A new signal box was opened on 31 January 1931 at Onslow Sidings (to serve a china clay works), 1.25 miles (2.01 km) towards Largin, but closed again on 10 November 1968.

The connection from the main line into the exchange siding is operated by a lever frame under the supervision of Lostwithiel signal box.

There were also a limited number of CrossCountry trains providing a service from Penzance to Glasgow Central or Manchester Piccadilly in the morning and returning in the evening.

Plymouth Citybus operates a bus service (to Bodmin and Padstow in one direction and Liskeard in the other) from the small station car park.

On 13 April 1895 the down passenger train from Plymouth derailed between Doublebois near milepost 271, about 3 mi (4.8 km) east of Bodmin Road.