The station opened on 9 April 1855 when the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway (L&YR) opened the line from Wigan Wallgate to Southport London Street, the line and station had been planned, authorised and construction started by the Manchester and Southport Railway before it was acquired by the L&YR on 3 July 1854.

When Sectorisation was introduced in the 1980s, the station was served by Regional Railways until the privatisation of British Rail.

The goods yard served as an exchange with the ICI Nobels Roburite Works narrow gauge railway.

[4] On Monday to Saturday daytimes, there are two trains an hour westbound to Southport and eastbound to Wigan.

Only a limited number now run via Atherton, mainly at peak times and late evenings (travellers to these destinations and for stations along the Calder Valley line now need to change at Wigan).