Royton railway station lay at the end of a branch from Royton Junction on the Oldham Loop Line, which was part of the route which connected Manchester, Oldham and Rochdale. The station was opened in 1864 and closed in April 1966. It featured steep gradients on the line up to Royton Junction, which, in October 1908, caused an accident when a goods train ran out of control on the gradient down to the station, killing a fireman. In February 1961, a four-coach runaway train crashed through the buffers at Royton railway station and continued on over High Barn Street. Five houses were damaged. The driver of the train was injured, but there were no fatal or severe injuries to the public. Five people from the damaged houses were taken to hospital suffering from shock and bruises, and in one case a fractured clavicle.