The station was built by the Cowbridge and Aberthaw Railway, and opened along with the line on 1 October 1892.
[1] As with St Mary Church Road, the preceding station on the line, St Athan Road was not very near the village it served, lying about a mile to the east.
The line had been built with the intention of serving a new port at Aberthaw.
[6] For at least part of its life, Gileston railway station on the Vale of Glamorgan Line was known as 'Gileston for St Athan'.
Like St Athan Road, this station was not close to the village either.