The station, which was opened by the
Cambrian Railways, first appeared in
Bradshaw in July 1896. Due to the deteriorating condition of the platforms,
British Rail had considered withdrawing services as from 14 May 1984, but the station was reprieved with minimum maintenance on the grounds of 'educational journeys and the occasional passenger'. The question of closure was revisited by British Rail in the 1990s when it requested the permission of the Secretary of State for Transport to close Tonfanau and three other Cambrian Coast stations (namely
Abererch,
Llandecwyn and
Tygwyn). Their winter 1995/96 timetable featured only one northbound and three southbound trains Mondays to Saturdays, with a note that the service may be withdrawn before 1 June 1996. Permission for the closure was refused and the station structure has had to be upgraded to meet modern standards with a new platform, signage and platform lighting. Unusually, the remote location of the station relative to mains services has led to its lighting being powered by its own miniature
wind turbine. ==Services==