The original station, called simply Tutbury, was opened on 11 September 1848 by the North Staffordshire Railway.

Nestlé have a historical presence in the village of Hatton due to the surrounding farmland, which supported a strong dairy farming industry.

Until the late 1970s the factory had its own private siding, which gave access to milk trains from the station.

The present station was opened in 1989 and serves the villages of Tutbury in Staffordshire, and Hatton in Derbyshire.

On weekdays and Saturdays, the station is generally served by an hourly service westbound to Crewe via Stoke-on-Trent and eastbound to Newark Castle via Derby and Nottingham.