The station was opened on 15 July 1850 by the Caledonian and Dumbartonshire Junction Railway[citation needed] on their route from Balloch Pier to Bowling, where travellers could join steamships on the River Clyde to get to Glasgow.

However, in 1891, the North British was forced to come to an agreement with the rival Caledonian Railway to give the latter access to Balloch (and the Loch Lomond steamships) over C&DJR metals in order to prevent the building of a competing route by the Caledonian company - this resulted in the Lanarkshire and Dumbartonshire Railway arriving from Possil via Maryhill Central in 1896.

[citation needed] Trains on the West Highland Railway also began serving the station following its completion on 1 August 1894 and these continue to call here to this day.

The station was built with two island platforms to permit convenient interchange between the various services that called, although only three faces remain in use (the former down loop on the southbound side having been removed).

The Highland Sleeper service also calls in each direction daily (except Saturday nights southbound and Sunday mornings northbound), giving the station a direct link to/from London Euston via Edinburgh Waverley, Crewe and the West Coast Main Line, and providing an additional service to Fort William.