It is on the Medway Valley Line, 42 miles 36 chains (68.3 km) from London Charing Cross via Strood and situated between Maidstone Barracks and East Farleigh.

The line ran approximately eight miles to the south, with the nearest station being at Maidstone Road (later renamed Paddock Wood).

[2] Maidstone West has a signal box — located at the southern end of the station — which is used as the point at which the mileage measurements and the "Up" and "Down" directions to London change.

From the signal box northwards, however, mileages are measured via Strood and the northbound line is the Up direction.

The station is also served by two peak hour high speed services per day to and from London St Pancras International.