[2] It is a major passenger interchange between the main line, Cross Country Route and local services running across the North of England.

The railway station was built in 1850 replacing a temporary structure constructed two years earlier, located some 450 yards (410 m) further south.

[6] The station has had several slight modifications since that date - in 1976, a project to refurbish the passenger facilities was completed at a cost of £125,000, and in 2006, the new interchange and connection to Frenchgate Centre opened.

[7][8] The station was evacuated and services on the East Coast Main Line stopped in March 1997 due to a bomb hoax called in by the IRA.

In a route study by Network Rail, it was proposed that new platforms could be built on the western side of the station to meet expected demand in the future.

[15] In March 2019, it was revealed that there were plans, as part of the East Coast improvement programme in Control Period 6, to add an additional platform at Doncaster.