The original Cornwall Railway Act had provided for a terminus at Falmouth on the waterfront at Greenbank.

The grand Falmouth Hotel was opened in 1865 just outside the station, with sea views across Gyllyngvase beach.

[4] The station is at the south end of the town on the hillside above the docks and near Pendennis Castle and Gyllyngvase Beach.

The single platform is on the left hand side of trains arriving from Truro.

[17] It is covered by a canopy but features a mosaic panel on its wall which depicts the link between the railway and the area's maritime heritage.

While passenger numbers have been steadily growing at most Cornish stations in recent years, the growth at Falmouth Docks has been exceptional.

More than 28,000 people passed through the station in the twelve months ending March 2003, but this had more than doubled just four years later and almost quadrupled by 2014–15.