The station was built by the Great Northern Railway (GNR) as part of their Leen Valley Extension which enabled trains to run from Nottingham Victoria to Shirebrook North via Sutton-in-Ashfield Town, Skegby for Stanton Hill, Pleasley East and Shirebrook South.

The Leen Valley Extension started at Kirkby South Junction where it left the Great Central Main Line.

The GCR took the LD&ECR over in 1907, so after that date The Leen Valley extension joined the Great Central at both ends.

To modern eyes this appears like running trains along the East Coast Main line from Edinburgh, terminating at Finsbury Park instead of Kings Cross.

The GCML closed North of Nottingham in September 1966, so diversions also ended, but a last hurrah was a sleeping car service from Marylebone to Glasgow which passed through from 1962 to 1964.