The station is on Cinque Ports Street to the north of the town centre, between two level crossings to the west and east.

The company attempted to negotiate construction with the South Eastern Railway (SER), who thought the route was a poor choice and preferred to reach Hastings from Tunbridge Wells via Penshurst.

[3] The SER's contract stipulated that the company should contribute £10,000 (£1,154,000 as of 2023) towards improving Rye Harbour, and Robert Stephenson recommended a branch line for goods traffic.

[13] In 1864, the Weald of Kent Railway proposed building a line from Paddock Wood to Appledore (and hence to Rye) via Tenterden.

[3] A footbridge was installed across the staggered platforms at the station in 1960, in preparation for the Kent electrification scheme Phase 2 of the British Railways Modernisation Plan, which provisionally included the line through Rye.

[15] The line was recommended to be closed in the 1963 Beeching Report, but because of poor road connections, it remained open along with its stations.

[16] On 1 October 1979, the Marshlink line either side of Rye was reduced to a single track, leaving a passing loop at the station.

It was designed by William Tress in symmetric Italianate style of two storeys with an attic in red brick with a slate roof and set of gateless gate pillars.

Tress also designed a goods shed in a similar style, sited alongside the main station building.

[25] There have been several proposals to integrate the Marshlink line with High Speed 1 at Ashford, which would allow a direct connection between Rye and St Pancras, with estimated times of less than an hour (down from 85 minutes).

[29][30] In 2018, Network Rail announced a fast service from St Pancras to Hastings would stop at Rye, and could be implemented by 2024.

[31] However, the date remains uncertain despite support from Amber Rudd, a former Member of Parliament for Hastings and Rye.