Trains from Great Yarmouth run to Norwich via one of two routes: either via Acle, the more regularly used line, or via Reedham.

[4] Two decades into GER ownership the latter decided to build a shorter route between Yarmouth Vauxhall to Norwich Thorpe.

The town was also formerly served by the following stations: Yarmouth Beach was located on Nelson Road and owned by the M&GN, which ran services along the Norfolk coast to Melton Constable and Peterborough.

[10] Yarmouth South Town was owned by the Great Eastern Railway but also served as the terminus for the Norfolk and Suffolk Joint Railway, which ran services through Gorleston-on-Sea and Lowestoft to join with the current East Suffolk Line for a mainline service to London.

A typical summer Saturday saw an additional 24 timetabled passenger trains from locations including York, Derby, Sheffield, Manchester, Leicester and Sunderland.

[15] There are proposals to run a wider variety of direct services to London Liverpool Street, Stansted Airport and Peterborough from 2025.

It is a crescent-shaped site between the A47 road and Wherryman's Way at the northernmost point of the River Yare, about 1⁄4 mi (400 m) north-west of the station.

[17][18] In 2010, the unused sidings were purchased by Great Yarmouth Borough Council; they were intended for use as a freight terminal, despite the lack of rail connection to the town's port.

The need to use a lorry shuttle between the docks and the rail yard, along with a £3.2 million quote for replacing the sidings at Cantley, saw the plan dropped.

Managing director James Steward said the siding "matched ERS's requirement for an East Anglian site to base its rolling stock.

"[17] Following extensive de-vegetation works, Direct Rail Services 37402 became the first locomotive in 19 years to run into the sidings on 26 May 2020, followed the next day by it delivering five former Greater Anglia Mark 3 coaches for storage.

[21] Class 08 08762, owned by Eastern Rail Services' sister company RMS Locotec, was delivered by road from Heaton TMD on 16 June 2020 to take up shunting duties on site.

[23] During 2012, Great Yarmouth Community Trust, in partnership with Greater Anglia, provided a welcoming and information service at the station for incoming holidaymakers and tourists.

[25] In 2018, it was announced that the station would benefit from £710,000 of investment, redeveloping the entrance and surrounding areas, with the work being funded by the New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership's Growth Deal.