It was also the junction station for the line to Whitby and was opened on 5 July 1845 by the York and North Midland Railway.

This prompted the railway company to build a curve east of the station connecting the Whitby and Scarborough lines in 1865.

However, the daily average of passengers using the avoiding line was low (about 31 per day), so after some time, it was formally disused (by 1870), and the track lifted in 1880.

[12] However, the platforms were retained at most stations to allow for excursions or special traffic; some trains in the 1950s were booked to call at Rillington for railway staff to board or alight.

[13] In the early 1950s, the roof of the trainshed was stripped back to the steelwork to reduce the load on the structure, but even that was completely removed in 1955.