In its later years, it was operated as part of the metropolitan passenger rail network and served three stations: Cavan, Pooraka, and Northfield.

An 18-metre section of the historic double-headed rail and chairs, used on the far eastern end of the Northfield Line, was recovered for display in the main pavilion at the National Railway Museum, Port Adelaide.

[5] The triangle junction where the track joined to the Gawler line was used by TransAdelaide as a storage area for rails, sleepers and maintenance equipment until 2009.

After the line was closed, services which previously operated from Adelaide to Northfield were cut back to terminate at Dry Creek.

Between Dry Creek and Cavan the line has been built over; some concrete Train Control telephone cabins still stood on the side of Churchill Road North.