The first station was a temporary terminus opened on 20 September 1845 situated north of Wells Tunnel.

The LBSCR line from Grove Junction to Tunbridge Wells (West) opened in 1867 for goods and 1876 for passenger.

Immediately after becoming part of the Southern Railway in 1923 the station was named Tunbridge Wells Central.

[2] All services at Tunbridge Wells are operated by Southeastern using Class 375, 465 and 466 EMUs.

The typical off-peak service in trains per hour is:[3] Additional services, including trains to and from and London Cannon Street and Ore call at the station in the peak hours.