It was opened by the East Lancashire Railway in 1848 as part of its route from Bury and Blackburn to Colne, where an end-on junction was made with the Leeds and Bradford Extension Railway line from Skipton that had been completed several months earlier. The service from Colne through the station to Manchester Victoria via Accrington and Bury was well used from the outset by the owners of the local cotton mills, who travelled from their homes in the area to make their purchases of raw cotton at the Royal Exchange several times each week. It was also possible to travel from the station by direct train to Blackpool, Liverpool and Skipton and even through to London Euston via Blackburn, Manchester Victoria and Stockport.