The station is managed by Great Western Railway which operates local branch line services to and from Par.

The line was extended on 1 June 1874 by the Cornwall Minerals Railway, with goods trains now reaching Fowey.

The London & South Western Railway Company (LSWR) hoped to extend the North Cornwall Railway from Padstow station to Newquay and on to Truro station, with running powers over the GWR lines from Truro to Penzance.

[4][5] While these efforts came to nothing,[4][5][6] the prospect of LSWR expansion along the north coast to Newqauy and on to Penzance prompted the Great Western Railway to expand provisions in the area.

Platform 3 was shortened in 1966 and its locomotive release line taken out of use on 4 October 1972, by which time four of the carriage sidings had been removed.

As a part of the Mid Cornwall Metro project, Government funding was announced in January 2023 to reinstate the second platform at Newquay station and make other improvements to the station, such as a larger concourse, ticket machines, platform canopies and a bus interchange.

The restored platform, in addition to other rail improvements of the Mid Cornwall Metro would allow hourly services to continue beyond Par to Truro and Falmouth Docks.

At the foot the track ran onto the eastern breakwater but a shunt-back and wooden trestle bridge gave access to the stone jetty in the middle of the harbour.

The piers were raised and new wrought iron girders installed ready for the opening of the line for locomotives in 1874.

This service includes Great Western Railway trains from London Paddington which do not stop at intermediate stations between Par and Newquay.

Three pubs in Newquay take part in the Atlantic Coast Line rail ale trail.