The station was opened to goods in November 1853, and to passenger traffic on 25 February 1854.

The station was closed to passengers, along with the entire Nunthorpe–Guisborough branch, on 2 March 1964, with freight being withdrawn in August 1964.

[3][4] Because the station was at the end of a branch, trains had to reverse out to Hutton Junction (Guisborough Junction from 1932) in order to continue eastwards along the NER line (the former eastern part of the Cleveland Railway).

[7][8] The Railway Clearing House list from 1904 shows that Guisborough had a crane that could lift 6 tonnes (6.6 tons) and could accommodate livestock, general goods, furniture vans and horse boxes.

[9] The station was listed for closure in the Beeching Report of March 1963,[10] with the last passenger train running on 28 February 1964, closing completely in August of the same year.