The station is 25+3⁄4 miles (41.4 km) south-east of Manchester Piccadilly and is the terminus of the Buxton line.

However, the line through Dove Holes Tunnel from Chinley is still used for freight, such as limestone from Tunstead, along with the old Midland branch into Buxton and part of the old Ashbourne Line (closed to passengers in October 1954), which remains in use to serve a lime works at Dowlow and the quarry at Hindlow.

The bay platform formerly used by Ashbourne line trains and the connecting curve from it towards Dowlow have been removed, though it is still possible to trace its route.

The LNWR station now handles local trains into Manchester, using its line through Dove Holes and Chapel-en-le-Frith.

[6] From 21 May 2018, two trains per hour started running between Manchester and Buxton all day, one of which omits certain stations en route.

The evening and Sunday service remains hourly and there are no longer any through trains north of Manchester.