Thetford is situated between Brandon and Harling Road, 93 miles 50 chains (150.7 km) from London Liverpool Street via Ely.

The station is managed by Greater Anglia, which operates most of the services, typically one to two trains per hour in either direction.

East Midlands Railway operates a regular service between Norwich and Liverpool Lime Street via Nottingham and Manchester Piccadilly.

It is the nearest station to the Center Parcs holiday village at Elveden Forest, approximately 5 miles (8 km) to the west.

However, the line only went as far as Trowse, on the outskirts of Norwich, as the contractors were having to build a swing bridge to cross the River Wensum.

The Act was passed on 5 July 1873 and work was started by the Thetford & Watton Railway (T&WR) in 1874.

The GER amalgamated with several other companies to form the London & North Eastern Railway (LNER).

Five years after nationalisation, British Railways decided to close the Thetford to Bury St Edmunds line.

On 1 April 2004, the station and its operations were transferred to National Express East Anglia (NXEA).

The original station building of knapped flint was constructed by the Norwich & Brandon Railway in 1845.