The station, situated 41 miles 37 chains (66.7 km) north-west of Leeds, serves the market town of Settle in North Yorkshire, England.

The market town is also served by the railway station at Giggleswick, situated about a mile to the south-west; it is on the Bentham Line, which runs between Leeds and Morecambe via Lancaster.

There is a range of facilities available, including a waiting room, toilets and a souvenir shop in the main buildings on the southbound platform.

[7] There is a period stone-built waiting room located on the northbound platform and a new stone and glass shelter on the southbound side.

[8] On 21 January 1960, an express passenger train derailed just to the north of the station (near the village of Langcliffe) and then collided with a northbound freight due to a defect on the BR Standard Class 7 locomotive hauling it.

[9] Monday to Saturdays there is generally a two-hourly service southbound to Leeds (nine trains a day in total Mon-Sat[10]) and northbound to Carlisle (eight).