The station accommodates travelers who use the combined Sunset Limited and Texas Eagle, operating between Los Angeles and New Orleans or Chicago, respectively.

Sanderson is the least-used Amtrak stop in its national system, fewer than one boarding or alighting per train visit on average, attributed to the surrounding area's small population.

[2] Even after the decline of passenger rail travel, Sanderson's depot was still well used, serving as a crew change terminal for the Southern Pacific Railroad's freight trains.

The passenger shelter is built with a base of stone in gray and brown tones, from which rises a framework of massive timbers joined by metal connector plates to support the roof.

Amtrak chose the shelter's rustic design to reflect the area's natural beauty, which includes habitat supporting a great variety of cacti.