The station was opened by the Norfolk Railway on 20 March 1849 and was originally named Fakenham.

Following nationalisation, it was renamed Fakenham East by British Railways on 27 September 1948; it was closed on 5 October 1964.

[1] This station is one of the possible sites protected in local plans, if needed as part of the Norfolk Orbital Railway's long-term plans to return trains to Fakenham.

Other developments north of the former station make further extension impractical; instead the 'Norfolk Orbital' scheme proposes reopening towards the North Norfolk line at Holt and the Mid-Norfolk line at County School.

[2][3] There was also a Fakenham West railway station, on the Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway between King's Lynn and Great Yarmouth, which closed in 1959.