The station is located alongside the ruins of the army base it once served and only a couple of occupied buildings can be found within the surrounding area.

[1] Due to the deteriorating condition of the platforms, British Rail had considered withdrawing services as from 14 May 1984, but the station was reprieved with minimum maintenance on the grounds of 'educational journeys and the occasional passenger'.

[2] The question of closure was revisited by British Rail in the 1990s when it requested the permission of the Secretary of State for Transport to close Tonfanau and three other Cambrian Coast stations (namely Abererch, Llandecwyn and Tygwyn).

Unusually, the remote location of the station relative to mains services has led to its lighting being powered by its own miniature wind turbine.

The station is an unstaffed halt on the Cambrian Coast Railway with passenger services to Barmouth, Harlech, Porthmadog and Pwllheli northbound and Tywyn, Aberdovey, Machynlleth and Shrewsbury.