The station, situated 18+1⁄4 miles (29 km) west of York, serves the village of Starbeck, in North Yorkshire, England.

Initially, intending passengers had to make the 2+1⁄2 miles (4 km) connection from the town on foot or by horse bus, as the Leeds and Thirsk Railway had elected to take an easily graded route to the east, rather than cross the Crimple Valley and serve the town itself.

However, it was not until both companies had been absorbed by the North Eastern Railway some years later that the issue of a link into the centre of Harrogate was addressed, with a route via Dragon Junction to a new central station (and on via Crimple Valley Viaduct to Pannal Junction) being commissioned on 1 August 1862.

[4] As of the June 2024 timetable change, the station is served by two trains per hour between Leeds and York all week.

Additional services operate at peak times, although some may originate or terminate at Knaresborough.