The line had its own station in Scunthorpe at Dawes Lane some 1⁄2 mi (0.80 km) from Frodingham on the Great Central Railway's Manchester to Cleethorpes route (now the South TransPennine).
The line passed through Winterton and Thealby, West Halton and Winteringham; it was later extended to reach Whitton.
An additional station for goods was opened at Normanby Park to deal with traffic to John Lysaghts works nearby.
The ceremonial first sod was cut at Thealby by Sir Berkeley Sheffield on 7 January 1901.
Part of the line still exists at the Scunthorpe end and is used to access a landfill site near Roxby which receives trainloads of household rubbish from various locations in the Greater Manchester area.