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.

[3] During the High Speed 2 project, it was planned for the eastern leg of phase 2b to join the existing network at Church Fenton with an onward connection to the East Coast Main Line.

[4] Today the station remains busy, even though the Harrogate line fell victim to the Beeching cuts in January 1964 and passenger trains towards Castleford ended six years later.

Since the winter 2023 timetable update, scheduled passenger services towards Castleford, Wakefield Kirkgate and Huddersfield now pass through here once again (for the first time in over 50 years), but run through without stopping.

One rail-replacement bus calls southbound in the early evening (pick-up only) en route to Moorthorpe (there now being no rail service to Sheffield via Pontefract on Sundays).