[2] The NER gained parliamentary powers to construct a line from Bowesfield Junction (where it joined the route of Stockton & Darlington Railway) to Wellfield Junction (on the route of the Hartlepool Dock & Railway) in 1872 and opened the line in stages, with the section north of Carlton Junction (where the line crossed the route of the Clarence Railway) opening to freight traffic on 1 August 1878 from which point Thorpe Thewles station was used for local goods traffic.

Local passenger trains were eventually introduced on 1 March 1880 though these services only ever used the line north of Carlton junction from where they continued over the former Clarence Railway route to Stockton-on-Tees station.

After the Second World War, the northbound track was, on several occasions, used to store surplus wagons, making the line only passable to southbound trains.

Thorpe Thewles station was eventually closed completely on 2 April 1951 though the line was still used by mineral traffic until 6 July 1966.

[2] After the line was closed and the tracks lifted, it was purchased by the two local authorities whose areas it passed through, meaning that the line through Thorpe Thewles came under the control of Cleveland County Council who converted it into the Castle Eden Walkway cycle path (now part of the Wynyard Woodland Park).