[3] It is 12 miles 54 chains (20.4 km) down the line from London Fenchurch Street and it is situated between Dagenham Dock to the west and Purfleet to the east.

Trains operated to Fenchurch Street and detached carriages at Stratford for Bishopsgate.

In 1858 a more direct line from Barking to Gas Factory Junction (Bow) was opened and trains stopped serving Bishopsgate.

[5] From the early 1880s the LT&SR had its own locomotives built and these were seen on passenger and goods trains.

[6][7] In that year a footbridge (second hand from East Ham) was installed replacing the previous track crossing at the west end of the goods yard.

During World War II many of the 3-cylindered 2-6-4Ts were transferred away from the area and haulage reverted to older LT&SR locomotives, but the 3-cylindered tanks were back before the end of 1945.

[10] Just after World War II started in September 1939, the passenger service was reduced as a wartime economy measure.

[12] As this was happening the LTS was being electrified and re-signalled and a full electric timetable started operating in June 1962 which was primarily worked by Class 302 EMUs.

The new High Speed 1 line was built in 2005/6 (and opened in 2007) cutting off Rainham station from the marshes.

The station is located on Ferry Lane, close to the junction with Wennington Road.

As of the June 2024 timetable the typical Monday to Friday off-peak service is:[15] London Buses routes 103, and 372 serve the station directly.