The Main Northern line between Sydney and Newcastle was constructed in two distinct stages and in the earliest years, was worked as two separate railway systems.

The line between Newcastle and the northern bank of the Hawkesbury River (near present-day Wondabyne) was opened in January 1888.

At the time of the opening, stations were provided at Ryde, Dundas (later Eastwood), Field of Mars (now Epping), Beecroft, Thornleigh and Hornsby.

A number of mill and industrial sidings, serving various undertakings were laid near Rhodes railway station over the years.

[3] In June 2015, a southbound loop (track name: Up Relief) opened to the south of the station as part of the Northern Sydney Freight Corridor project.

[3] Rhodes railway station (Waiting shed) was listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999 having satisfied the following criteria.

[3] The place possesses uncommon, rare or endangered aspects of the cultural or natural history of New South Wales.

[3] This Wikipedia article contains material from Rhodes Railway Station (Waiting Shed), entry number 01235 in the New South Wales State Heritage Register published by the State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) 2018 under CC-BY 4.0 licence, accessed on 2 June 2018.