On 12 October 1874 the original station and the first section of the line south from Napier to Hastings was opened with special trains, a picnic and a band.

[1] The line gradually extended beyond Hastings, with completion on 9 March 1891 when it was opened through the Manawatū Gorge to Palmerston North and, hence, to Wellington.

The station building had stood empty since then,[5] but is still visited by occasional heritage train excursions.

[8] The station was enlarged in the 1880s, so that by 1896 there was a 2nd class station, platform, cart approach, 100 ft (30 m) x 30 ft (9.1 m) goods shed, loading bank, cattle yards, engine shed, stationmaster's house, urinals and a passing loop for 44 wagons.

[9] Hastings Racecourse, 1 mi 47 ch (2.6 km) to the south, opened as a siding in 1882 and a platform was added in 1900.