The line through the station site opened for freight on 1 March 1873 and for passengers on 1 August 1873 when the
Cheshire Lines Committee opened the line between and . The station was opened as
Sankey for passengers and goods on 1 May 1874. The station is located in a cutting where the line is bridged by what is now Station Road. The main station building is of the "common twin-pavilion type adopted by the CLC" with a larger, two-storey, projecting pavilion forming a house and a smaller single-storey one. Linking them is an entrance hall, ticket office and three-bay iron-arcaded waiting shelter. The building is decorated with elaborately fretted bargeboards. The station was equipped with a carved stone drinking fountain. It had two platforms, both accessed by steps down from the road overbridge, the Liverpool bound platform could also be accessed from the road access to the station building. There was a goods yard to the south of the lines and west of the station. The goods yard was able to accommodate most types of goods including several cattle pens for livestock, it was equipped with a five-ton crane. During 1904 the station was renamed
Sankey for Penketh. The station closed to goods traffic on 5 November 1962, except for a private siding, which has subsequently also closed. ==Facilities==