It is situated on the old route of the Lake Zurich right bank railway (Rechtsufrige Zürichseebahn) from Zürich HB to Rapperswil via Tiefenbrunnen.

As built in 1894, the right bank railway was a single track line that departed from Zürich HB (main station) in a westerly direction, before performing a clockwise 270 degrees turn via the Aussersihl Viadukt and a bridge over the River Limmat.

After the new route opened, Letten station was closed and the original railway line and tunnel fell into disuse.

During the 1980s and early 1990s, the adjacent Platzspitz and later also the vacated Letten station area became a centre for Zurich's drug scene, until this was driven away by police action in 1995.

The former track bed through Letten station, the bridge across the River Limmat, and the part of the Aussersihl Viadukt on the line between Industriequartier and Letten have been converted into a pedestrian and cycle route (the line between Zürich HB and Oerlikon via Wipkingen of the Aussersihl Viadukt is still operative).