The installation of a yard at Dringhouses came about due to the amount of coal traffic passing through York during the First World War.

[6] A British Railways press release from January 1962, described Dringhouses as being the first yard to deal fully fitted[note 1] express freight trains.

Freight was forwarded from Knapton on the York–Scarborough line, the Derwent Valley Light Railway (DVLR),[13] the goods depot at York Layerthorpe, but the bulk of the local traffic came from the Rowntrees factory at Foss Islands.

[14] Grain traffic from Dunnington on the DVLR and from Knapton, was attached to trunk services from Doncaster to Burghead, Dufftown or Muir of Ord.

[18] Barely a year before closure, in May 1986, three trunk trains originated at Dringhouses (going to Derby and Aberdeen), with one arrival from Severn Beach.

[21] One of the last wagonload local services through York was government stores (Ministry of Defence) to the now closed storage location at Hessay on the Harrogate Line.