It is an unstaffed flag stop on the City of New Orleans route, which serves Newbern and nearby Dyersburg when passengers have tickets to and from the station.

[3][4] The new brick facility was a combination depot that accommodated both passenger and freight services in a single one-story building, along with a railroad business office.

It was built to a standard floor plan with little architectural ornamentation, but the windows and eaves show Craftsman influences.

[3][5] It was subsequently restored based on the original architectural drawings, and was added to the National Register of Historic Places on March 25, 1993, as Newbern Illinois Central Depot.

[2][4][6] In 1992, Amtrak service was moved from the small stop in nearby Dyersburg to the restored Newbern Depot in order to serve both towns; it is thus sometimes called the Newbern-Dyersburg station.