 A single track line was built by the South Yorkshire Railway (SYR) from Mexborough to Kilnhurst to serve the pottery and brickworks, and later the colliery, this running alongside the South Yorkshire Navigation.It was not until later, after the SYR was integrated into the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway (MS&L), that this line was joined to their Sheffield (Tinsley Junction) to Rotherham line, with a passenger service introduced between Sheffield Victoria and Doncaster, and intermediate stations built, the first being Rotherham Central in 1864.Kilnhurst (the "Central" was added later) opened in September 1871 and closed on 5 February 1968.