The present station was built by the North Staffordshire Railway to serve its main line from to. Prior to 1881, three different stations had been in use simultaneously, all being built by the NSR. The section from Stoke-on-Trent to Uttoxeter was opened on 7 August 1848. The first station opened in the town was Uttoxeter Bridge Street station, which opened the same day as the line opened from Stoke. However the station buildings were not complete and temporarily the crossing keeper's hut nearby was used. The following month on 11 September 1848 the line was completed through to Burton and through running between Stoke and Derby began. When the Churnet Valley Line was opened on 13 July 1849, Uttoxeter Junction station was opened on the mainline to serve as an interchange with the Churnet Valley line and on the same date, Uttoxeter Dove Bank station was also opened on the Churnet Valley line. Uttoxeter then had three stations in total. In 1880, the NSR decided to close all three and construct a north to west line forming a triangular junction. A new Uttoxeter station replaced all three at this new junction and opened on 10 October 1881. There is a model of the 1881 station at the Uttoxeter Heritage Centre. The Stafford and Uttoxeter Railway which opened in 1867 also used the station but this line was operated by the Great Northern Railway.
The LMS was nationalised in 1948 and became part of British Rail. The last mainline steam train used the station on 16 September 1957 and thereafter an hourly DMU service operated which has been used ever since. Passenger services on the Churnet Valley line from Uttoxeter towards and ceased operation 2 January 1965, and the trains towards Ashbourne and Buxton ceased on 1 November 1954. The last mainline steam train ran on 16 September 1957. The engine sheds closed on 7 December 1964. A siding which was part of the old Churnet valley line remained until the 1980s. The station buildings were destroyed by fire on 9 May 1987 and the station is now unstaffed.
Privatisation
On 2 March 1997, the station became part of the Central Trains franchise. Trains would run from the station to Manchester Airport and Skegness. In 2004, the Manchester Airport train was cut back to Crewe and, in September 2005, the Skegness train was cut short to Derby. The Central Trains franchise expired on 11 November 2007 and the station and its services were taken over by East Midlands Trains. When this franchise expired in August 2019, East Midlands Railway began operations.
Today
In 2013 a footbridge with disabled access opened at the station, so the level crossing is no longer used to cross the line. There is also now direct access to Uttoxeter Racecourse, which is adjacent to the station, and a car park for the Racecourse on the north side of the line.
Services
Uttoxeter is served by one train per hour in each direction between Crewe and Derby, usually operated by a class153, 156 or a 158. During the Midlands Grand National extra trains are provided by East Midlands Railway to cope with the capacity. The station also has a bus stop and is served by routes Swift and the 402 to and from Burton.
