In 1858 Royal Assent was given for a ‘branch’ line to be built between Kirby Stephen and Penrith, via Appleby. The purpose of this line was to connect to the Lancaster to Carlisle line at Clifton (near Penrith). It took four years to build, taking freight traffic in April 1862 and passengers in June 1862.

It soon became the ‘main’ line (with the Tebay section; which closed in 1952; becoming the branch line) running five trains a day between Kirby Stephen and Penrith, carrying passengers, goods, milk (from the Appleby dairy), troops (from MoD land at Warcop) and excursion trains.

Cliburn Station was one of six small stations (with signal boxes) between Kirby Stephen and Penrith. It opened in June 1862 and closed in September 1956, shortly before the whole line closed in January 1962.

The property was sold to a private purchaser in 1964, changing hands again some 40 years later. In 2006, Eden District Council gave permission for the Signal Box and the Weigh Office to be converted to holiday let accommodation. The Signal Box was completed in 2012, with the Weigh Office following in 2015. Today, under new ownership, the Cliburn Station site continues to be a popular holiday destination, both for those interested in local history, and those who appreciate the natural unspoilt beauty of the area.