[2][page needed] However, in 1845, by the time the line had actually reached the town, the station's construction works were still continuing apace and the Illustrated London News reported that it was still in "a very unfinished state".

Nevertheless, once the station did open, it became apparent that its facilities – one platform serving Up and Down trains – were inadequate to handle the traffic on the Northampton line which had proved to be far heavier than had been expected.

There is a range of large brick buildings on the right, comprising refreshment and waiting rooms, booking offices, warehouses, engine houses, porters' lodges, etc.

The Eastern Counties company enlarged in very much, built new warehouses, engine-houses and a large wharf close to the river, from which there are tramways to the mainline, to facilitate the loading and unloading of goods.

This wagon line and two others at either end of the platform continued south into a large four-road covered way which was an unusual feature of the station.

However, the GNR was desperately short of capital and approached the ECR in autumn 1849 with an offer to purchase the station to which it would run services using a six-mile stretch of the Midland Railway's Syston Branch to the north of Peterborough.

Apparently, a LNWR goods engine shunted some wagons into the station at a higher speed than was normal practice.

In 1848, 70 trains per day were involved in shunting operations over the crossing and by 1855 complaints were made that this resulted in the regular closure of the gates for 25 minutes at a time.

In 1872 the GER finally built a pedestrian footbridge over the level crossing and in 1874 agreed to transfer many of its shunting operations to other yards.

It was this level crossing and the restricted width of the narrow street which limited the development of Peterborough's tramway network to areas north of the River Nene.

This entailed the demolition of the Crown public house, some GER railway cottages and the removal of Fletton Road Junction Signalbox which closed in May 1934.

Although passenger services on the Northampton line ceased on 2 May 1964, the following year around 40 trains per day were still calling at Peterborough East.

However, on 6 June 1966, with the closure of the Rugby line from Yarwell Junction to Seaton, Peterborough East finally closed to passenger traffic.

The station became the base for the East Anglia British Rail Universal Trolley Equipment (BRUTE) service and handled some 15,000 parcels a day.

On 29 June 1970, the station finally became redundant when operations were transferred to the new British Rail Express Parcel Terminal built on the site of the New England locomotive sheds.

The large Victorian rail engine shed has been renovated into Peterborough City Council's new office, Sand Martin House.

[4][5] Nevertheless, the Ely to Peterborough Line continues to run through the site and to provide a well-used link between East Anglia and the Midlands.