The station serves the hamlet of Kirkhaugh in Northumberland.

The station is located on the alignment of the former Alston Line, which ran from Haltwhistle to Alston, until the line's closure by the British Railways Board in May 1976.

[1] However, unlike stations at Alston and Slaggyford, Kirkhaugh was not part of the original line, instead being purpose-built for the heritage railway.

The line was later extended from Kirkhaugh to Lintley Halt in April 2012,[2][3] and from Lintley Halt to Slaggyford in June 2018, reopening the station following a 42-year closure.

[4] It is the eventual aim of the South Tynedale Railway for the narrow-gauge railway to serve the length of the former Alston Line, restoring the rail link between Haltwhistle and Alston.