It was built by the Leeds Northern Railway as part of their main line from  to  (via  and ) which opened on 2 June 1852, although the connection to the ECML at the Northallerton end was not opened for a further four years.
The Leeds Northern Railway built a railway line as part of their main route from  to  (via  and ) that opened on 2 June 1852. However, the link to the ECML at Northallerton wasn't established until four years later.