It is 65 miles 36 chains (105.3 km) down the line from London Charing Cross.

The station was opened as Sandling Junction on 1 January 1888 by the South Eastern Railway (SER).

[8] The coaches were fitted with a full kitchen, two sleeping compartments and a room with two single beds.

The station has a ticket office which is staffed during weekday mornings only (06:20-13:00 Mon-Fri).

The typical off-peak service in trains per hour is:[12] Additional services, including trains to and from London Cannon Street and Ramsgate via Deal, and to London Victoria call at the station during the peak hours.