The NER gained parliamentary powers to construct a line from Bowesfield Junction (where it joined the route of Stockton & Darlington Railway) to Wellfield Junction (on the route of the Hartlepool Dock & Railway) in 1872 and opened the line in stages, with the section north of Carlton Junction (where the line crossed the route of the Clarence Railway) opening to freight traffic on 1 August 1878 from which point Hurworth Burn station was used for local goods traffic.

Local passenger trains were eventually introduced on 1 March 1880 though these services only ever used the line north of Carlton junction from where they continued over the former Clarence Railway route to Stockton-on-Tees station.

Despite the poor patronage, there were four stopping passenger trains over the line per day in each direction in 1910[1] and the number increased to five each way by the 1930s.

After the Second World War, the northbound track was, on several occasions, used to store surplus wagons, making the line only passable to southbound trains.

Hurworth Burn station was eventually closed completely on 2 April 1951 though the line was still used by mineral traffic until 6 July 1966.