On February 1, 1881, the first two steam trains rattled into Dubbo. It was a long-awaited event with over 5000 people attending the official opening, and was celebrated for the following two days.

The railway station was a bustling area with sightseers coming to view the steam engines in all their glory. It soon quietened down once the station master decided to start charging admission to view the trains. The iron railway bridge was constructed soon after to extend the railway line onto Nyngan and Bourke. After the construction of the railway bridge the pumping station was built to pump water from the river for the steam engines. The water was pumped to the railway yards and stored in large iron tanks. A coal-fire pump within the pumping station was used for some time until it was converted to electricity at a later date. Dubbo was later used as the central hub for five railway lines running to Sydney, Bourke, Molong, Werris Creek and Coonamble.

A substantial stationmaster’s residence was also built close to the railway station.