The railway was built in 1831 to transport coal from the mining towns south of the city; and the following year opened passenger services.

St. Leonards was the terminus for the south of the city and was named after the nearby region.

The station reopened briefly between 1 June 1860 and 30 September 1860 when a service was temporarily re-introduced from St. Leonard's to Dalkeith, Portobello and Leith, but it closed again within a few months.

The railhead continued to see heavy use in its original intended role as a coal yard until 1968.

This article about a railway station in the Edinburgh council area of Scotland is a stub.