It is operated by Northern Trains, as part of Merseytravel's electrified City Line to Manchester and Wigan North Western.

These early intermediate stations were often little more than halts, usually positioned where the railway was crossed by a road or turnpike.

It is staffed throughout the day (as is the norm for Merseytravel-sponsored stations), with the ticket office (located in the main building on platform one) open from 05:30 until 00:10 Mondays to Saturdays and 09:45 to 17:45 on Sundays.

[5] Shelters are available on the other three platforms, along with digital information screens, timetable poster boards, automatic train announcements and customer help points.

A second hourly stopping service to and from Wigan began at the spring 2018 timetable change, but has since ceased.