A station at Ribblehead was not included in the original plans for the Settle-Carlisle Railway (the initial plan being to serve upper Ribblesdale from a station at Selside).
It is not clear why the plans were changed, but in 1875 the Midland Railway Company sought Additional Powers to purchase an extra slice of land to the south-east of the Ingleton - Hawes road in order to build a station closer to the head of the Ribble Valley. The request was granted and a station was duly built, complete with a standard-design 'small' main station building. The station officially opened for passenger traffic on the 4th of December 1876 and for goods traffic on 1st May 1877.
Two names were initially suggested for the station: "Ingleton Road" and "Batty Green", the latter being the option chosen initially. On the 19th of July 1876, the Rev. E. H. Woodall of Settle wrote to the Midland Railway Company proposing that the name of the station be changed to "Ribblehead". His proposal was accepted and the name was officially changed to Ribblehead on the 1st of May 1877.
