In 1847 the London and North Western Railway leased the line between Stafford and Wellington from the Shropshire Union Railways and Canal Company, however the line was not finished until 1849.

Newport was an important station along the stretch between Wellington and Stafford as it had a large cattle market and was one of the largest towns in the area.

It has been reported by the Shropshire Star [1] that Winston Churchill spent a night in the sidings at Newport in 1942, as did general Sir John Dill in 1941. and the Royal Train of George VI in 1948.

[2] However, ever since the reinstatement of the line as far as Telford International Freight Park at Donnington, the reopening of Newport's station is seen "definitely be feasible",[3] this would mean that freight that is currently routed through Wolverhampton to reach Scotland and the north, could benefit from a line through Newport to the West Coast Main Line at Stafford, thereby freeing up capacity from Telford to the West Midlands conurbation.

In 2009 the line was in the top 36 'Lines that should reopen' listing published by the Campaign for Better Transport.