In 1846, the Newcastle and Darlington Junction Railway purchased the D&SR and promptly renamed itself the York and Newcastle Railway. The York and Newcastle Railway later also took out a lease on the HD&R before both were amalgamated into the York, Newcastle and Berwick Railway in 1848 and then the North Eastern Railway (NER) in 1854.

By around 1860, the NER had converted the ex-D&SR network to locomotive haulage and Ryhope’s passenger services were diverted to new northern termini at Hendon in 1858 and then Sunderland Central in 1879. From 1877, the opening of a new chord to connect the ex-D&SR and ex-HD&R lines at Haswell saw Ryhope served by direct through-trains to West Hartlepool.

A second station was situated immediately to the southeast of George Street, which had been diverted to pass under the railway when the station was built. A single-story brick-built booking office and waiting room was located on the down (northbound) platform while a timber waiting room and toilet block was located on the up (southbound) platform. The platforms were linked with a standard late 19th century NER footbridge, which remains in situ as of 2026. Close to the station was a siding serving a brickworks while a branch to Ryhope and Silksworth Collieries diverged from the ex-D&SR line a short distance to the north.